Eighth, the Dragoon
by Arrixam
Summary: Through tragedy, Issei awakened a power which places him as a Predator, one of the most dominant beings on the planet. As the Eighth, he must defend the planet from a force beyond his current means. Ideals clash, blood is shed, and hearts are broken in his struggle to protect those he loves most dear. But he can do it. He has become Y Ddraig Goch. (Slight AU, OP Issei, OCs inside)
1. The Story Thus Far

**A note from the author! Revised 2/3/15!**

Helloooooo everybody and thank you very much for taking the chance to read _Eighth, the Dragoon! _I greatly appreciate it and hope you like it as well.

A note before the story kicks off. Most of the notes in later chapters are a little out of date. Second, I've made a great deal of mistakes in this story. Like my math. I fully accept my math is TERRIBLE and I also regret not fully researching how Issei's Sacred Gear works. I've made corrections here and there but left some out in the open to remind myself of where I went wrong. I refuse to hide anything under the carpet.

Another thing, as I'm told to mention by my peers, this story is something of a crossover between High School DxD and the series of original stories I work on. Expect to be confused every so often on the lore, but I assure you everything is explained at one point. Mostly.

Now then, having all that said, I thank all of you for taking the time to read this story. Without further ado, on with the show!

* * *

Lately, should one turn on the television and watch the nightly news station, particularly in relations to world events, it wasn't uncommon to have the broadcast give a report about the newest mystery. Within the past three years terrible events have been prevented by the arrival of what could be best described as a 'red blur'. Planes landed safely after failing due to sabotage or malfunctions, invading forces in third-world countries were halted no matter what side they were on or for what reason they had to fight in the first place, to even petty robberies, muggings, attempted kidnapping and raping was stopped with the criminals being found bound in front of police stations.

Every one of the involved would report a red blur appearing out of nowhere and then disappearing as soon as it arrived. Never a life was lost when it was around. At first, this was just assumed to be some sort of childish speculation as several theories and mythological lore swept through the internet. It wasn't until a year ago did the news media start to take it seriously.

There was a fragment of a second when this red blur had paused. And in that fragment of a second had a group of teenage tourists been conveniently taking a picture of their surroundings to record their memories. And minutes later one of them would be calling the local authorities after having heard gunshots. It would later turn out to have been a lair of drug smugglers who had their base thrashed, and each one of the criminals would report to having seen a red blur moving far too fast for any of them to see clearly.

Though still so far away, the image of a red humanoid with a tail and fluorescent wings was captured right before its raid began.

The world was set ablaze by the surfacing of this evidence. No one knew what it was. No one could trace its movements as it continued to sweep across the world. In one moment it would be stopping pirates from the Atlantic and in less than an hour it would be rescuing people from a storm in the Americas. The speed of its travel was truly unfathomable. Many speculated there was multiples of this phenomenon. Governments had denied knowing of its origin just as much as they had attempted to capture this unknown creature. Some even went as far as creating their own disasters in hopes of luring it into a trap.

The creature had either adapted or grew cunning as now whenever it arrived, technology started to fail in its presence. Capturing any further pictures, let alone the creature itself, was deemed impossible.

But the photograph was the only evidence that would ever surface. Without any further leads, the people eventually began to lose interest. But that is not to say they weren't still curious about this. Simply until new information could surface, there wasn't anything they could do about it.

…That is until the appearance of a _white _blur appeared.

Now, just as the red creature was treated as some childish myth until the picture arrived, there were rumors on the internet about other colored creatures roaming around the world, including that of a white one. There were even people across the world who reported seeing blurs of various hues during events of carnage, but of course none of this was true.

Yet a camera crew from Germany had been able to capture the image of a white being just after a roaring forest fire had been contained. It had been floating high above the air, higher than their helicopter could reach, higher than most flying vehicles could. It was but a speck in the distance and impossible to notice. The only reason why they had noticed it was because of the howl of _rage _it had unleashed. Its roar had been heard within a several mile radius. Their cameras had been able to see the speck for but an instant before its florescent wings took it away due east.

The local villagers would later report something large and red had stopped the fire from advancing to their area before taking to the skies.

Once more the world was swept off their feet by the appearance of a second winged figure. And once more the cycle of trying to locate these two beings took off, but granting no results. However, the world had come to a conclusion as a pattern was starting to gather.

When a disaster struck, the red one would appear. And as soon as it was concluded and the red one would leave, the white one would appear as though searching for it.

Alas, there wasn't a definite pattern as there was _always _something going on around the world. At times the white one would be the first to appear as though waiting for the red one. Yet never were they seen together. It was also speculated the white one was slower than the red. It would take hours for the white being to travel throughout countries while it took a fracture of that time for the red one to travel around the _world._

Their wings were also different. While the white could be described by witnesses to have wings akin to 'green mist' or 'green sparkling dust', the red was far more… _radiant. _Its wings never had the same description as witnesses would claim its wings were one color or the other. Even the lone photograph of its appearance a year ago produced different colors depending on who was looking at it. It was but another marvel that could not be explained.

The shape was an entirely different discussion.

Nevertheless, once more the world was left alone in the darkness as these beings were beyond their reach. Governments still attempted traps here and there, creating high tensions amongst other nations as well as their own people. The red one would be seen but could not be identified, and the white one would be close behind. Close, but yet so far away.

Some began to question if the white one was looking for the red, why not just cause a disaster of its own to lure the red…?

*Scene*

"Please go out with me!"

Hyoudou Issei was anything but a normal high school student. On the surface he might be, but after a few years of seeing the worst the world had to offer, most of his innocence hadn't been scrubbed away as much as it had been _retched _from his soul. He still attended school, still did his homework, still did a few odd jobs here and there to make ends meet, and still ogled (peeped) girls at every chance.

He was quite average looking. He wasn't handsome, but he wasn't hideous either. Most would say he was boring to look at. Which was good because of his hobby hardly anyone gave him a second glance… unless he got caught of course. Though he was far more fit than a normal high school student should be, the way he wore his uniform over a long sleeve undershirt left him looking like a scrawny weakling. Whenever he changed for physical education he kept on the undershirt so no one would see the series of muscles underneath.

…Or what lay on his back.

Issei would have to say he did everything he could within his power to avoid attention like the plague. And it was working so far. It also wasn't that hard to do. Why, even Rolan-sempai encouraged it when the _shrimp _suggested he should continue being a pervert, to the _extreme _no less! Perverts never get much recognition other than to be despised by everyone around them. They were rejected by society most of the time and quite shunned. So, other than his fellow perverts Matsuda and Motohama, no one ever gave him the bit of time to get to know him.

It was a sad and lonely life, but he at least had the company of his seven _sempai _if he ever asked. But he didn't because they all scared the living shit out of him, especially the Divine Beast and the Dragon Slayer, the former hating him for being a pervert while the latter was his natural enemy.

So, Issei was at first confused as all hell when this girl approached him on his way home and asked him out. She was _very _cute, no doubt a highly popular girl with the boys at her school. However, Issei couldn't trace a hint of honesty coming from her.

"I think you have the wrong guy," Issei sighed. This wouldn't be the first time a girl had asked him out. And not once had they done so because they _wanted _to. Always, always, always they had done so because they lost some bet or this was some rite of passage. He was known as the 'ultimate test'— such was the fate of a super pervert like him.

"Hyoudou Issei-kun, a second-year at Kuoh Academy," the girl responded. She blushed, bowed her head, and fiddled with her hands. "M-My name is Amano Yuuma. And I've b-been wanting to meet you for some time. B-But if you don't want to…"

There it was again, that trace of insincerity. Her words weren't forced, but they weren't natural either. Without a reason of a doubt she was deceiving him.

"Okay!"

…But Issei was a pervert before he was anything else. So what if this girl was going to go on a date with him with impure motives? He was a _huge _sucker for cute girls and this performance was the best one so far with the way she was behaving and expertly putting on a blush. He felt weak in the knees with how _kowaii~ _she was behaving.

"R-Really?" the girl looked up with hope in her eyes.

"Un!" Issei nodded vigorously. He was so excited steam was about to shoot from his nostrils.

Yuuma gave a lovely smile as she said, "Then please meet me at the shopping center tomorrow at noon."

With that, she turned and fled in haste with a large blush covering her face. And Issei shot a fist into the air in triumph as though he had achieved the unachievable, despite it being _given _to him. However, when he turned away to continue onward home, he did not miss the presence of murderous intent coming from the girl. As one who had been surrounded by it constantly throughout his exhibitions, he hadn't grown numb to it but had been able to acknowledge and shrug it off.

Killing intent wasn't some actual presence often expressed in anime. It was a concept in which can only be _assumed _by the intended like any other emotion. Love, hate, joy, sorrow— these such things had to be recognized by reading body language and nothing else. Killing intent wasn't something that floated in the air and struck him like an arrow.

Yet, because of what he was, Issei had been able to sense what his favorite anime heroes could. This girl, without a doubt, was planning his death. The smart thing to do would be to avoid her from here on out. Some of his sempai would strike her down now just to avoid any future problems.

But, again, Issei was a pervert before he was one of _them. _He was going to spend as much time with the super cute girl as he could. He might even get the chance to take the first step into achieving his ultimate goal.

To build a harem!

*Scene*

Their day was fantastic. They were much like any other couple. They saw a romantic comedy film, had lunch as a local café, and spent the remainder of the afternoon playing games at the arcade. He managed to win her a trinket from one of the crane machines… after spending a large chunk of his cash in many failed attempts. But her smile was worth it, even if it was fake.

Throughout the day, he knew he was being watched. He pretended to not notice it as he continued playing with Yuuma, which wasn't all that hard to do as he was too busy staring at her chest. She noticed a few times, blushed, but said nothing as though she was giving him permission.

As it was getting late with the sun beginning to set, they took a silent stroll through the park. No one was around at this hour. Yuuma even wrapped her arms around his, pressing her right breast against him. Normally the chance to get closer _should have _sent warning signals through him.

…He was too busy trying to keep his downstairs roommate from getting excited.

They reached the center of the park, which contained a large fountain with a few benches circling around it. It was romantic sight as the sun leaked through the trees and created sparkles over the water. No one else was around and it would have been the perfect chance to receive a kiss.

Yuuma released him and skipped over to the fountain. She twirled, put her hands behind her back, and bent over slightly for him to catch a small glimpse of her cleavage. "Ise-kun, today was so much fun. Now there's just one more thing left to do. Can I ask you for a favor?"

Issei gulped as all of his attention was drawn towards her bountiful chest. The words as well as her growing murderous intent completely flew over his head.

Yuuma giggled as she drew closer to him. So close in fact she was able to cup one hand to his cheek. The smile she gave was truly radiant.

"Can you die for me?"

Issei blinked, snapping out of his daze.

She took a step back. Black wings sprouted out of her back in such a snap feathers fluttered everywhere. Gone was the persona of a cute love-struck girl, only to be replaced by a malevolent, if not _amused, _killer.

"This was nice," even her tone had changed to that of something far more mature, "it was like playing house with a child."

The air vibrated as she extended a hand to her right. The shadows within the park seemed to darken as though all the light was drawn directly into her hand. And as if so, light manifested into solid form in the figure of a spear. Her hands clenched around it as though it truly were a physical weapon.

Faster than a human could have moved, she went through the proper stance and performance of throwing the spear a master would have. The spear of light traveled as fast as a bullet. At this close of a distance, she could have just taken a step forward and stabbed him with it. Instead, she had been arrogant and thought to _fling _it at him, expecting him to die immediately.

He saw her eyes widened as the dragon blood coursed through his veins, changing his eyes into golden serpentine spheres. He twisted his body while assuming a stance of his own. The sphere of light phased by him, if not scorching his polo.

"Wha—?!" Yuuma gasped in shock at the speed he had been able to move… before being cut off by him closing in on her and delivering a powerful punch to her abdomen.

Issei wasn't sure what she was. While he wasn't unfamiliar to the supernatural, he was still raised as a mundane child. It wasn't until his most recent exploits did he come across the likes of monsters. This was one of the few rare humanoid beings he had come across and their durability ranged. Thus, he wasn't sure how much of an attack was too much and too little.

He decided to give his first strike with enough force to knock a bulky human unconscious. Yuuma had a lot of resistance as the blow did nothing but startle her.

However, now he had a good guess on how much damage she could take. This time he held nothing back. Before she could recover, he sent his other fist ramming below her jaw.

She went spinning to his right, but caught herself in a backhand spring, flipping once, and then regaining her footing. Such a blow should have left her unconscious. All it left her was a slight bruise and a bleeding lip as the shock of the blow forced her to bite.

She wiped away the blood and snarled. "How the hell did a human—"

He didn't give her the chance to talk. He kicked off the ground at her, once more catching her by surprise. With the Assaulter stance, he dug his feet into the ground, brought the weight of his body around, and delivered a corkscrew haymaker. He heard something crunch as his fist met her left cheek, but his eyes narrowed as her inhuman durability once again left her conscious. All it did was make her stumble back.

Yuuma grunted in frustration and this time flew up with her large wings. She didn't need to flap to suspend herself. Issei wondered for a moment if it was a property of her species or if she had some sort of supernatural ability.

"Don't screw with me!" she cried, formed a spear of light in both her hands, and flung one after the other.

Issei clicked his tongue and moved to dodge. But as soon as the first spear struck the ground, his senses screamed at him.

When the spears made contact with the ground, they exploded. Debris flew everywhere fierce enough to damage the nearby fountain as well as tear apart a few of the benches. A pair of craters overlapping another about three meters in diameter was left.

Yuuma clicked her tongue in further frustration.

Issei had been able to _double _his speed at the last instant as though he was holding back from the beginning. He barely managed to avoid the critical damage, but not in enough time to avoid the blunt force of the impact. He had stumbled a few times and expertly rolled back onto his feet. His clothes were in tatters.

The faint glow of something etched onto his back was peeking through the holes of his undershirt.

Yuuma snarled but threw more spears of light his way.

She gasped when his speed _jumped _even further. Somehow, in some way, he had been able to move far away from the blast zone. He crossed the distance of twenty meters in the blink of an eye! Even with magic humans shouldn't be able to perform such feats. The human body had limits and the performance should have burdened his body to the point of snapping in two.

Yet Issei was unfazed. There wasn't a sign of fatigue on him.

His eyes were glowing as his stare sharpened. They weren't the eyes of a human. True, a human's eyes weren't gold with their irises being diamond shape akin to that of a serpent. She was referring to the way he was looking at her that wasn't human. Oh, he recognized her as one person to another. There was just something more… primal in that stare.

Like a beast defending its territory from an invader.

Issei moved again, crossing the destroyed field and without moving in a straight line to confuse Yuuma. She wouldn't be able to get a direct hit on him by the way he was _flickering _from one place to another. All she could figure was that he was growing closer to her. So, she decided to fly up higher and generate a more potent spear of light— one big enough to level the terrain and sweep him away.

"Explosion."

She didn't expect him to _jump._

The ground under him crumbled as his draconian strength sent him rocketing towards her. He saw she was trying to make a larger weapon and thus would require more time to prepare. It was from that window of opportunity did he react. His body ascended the heights at an alarming speed, catching her by surprise once again. She was helpless as she fumbled with the incomplete spear.

He spun once in the air and brought an axis kick with his heel to her chest. Something _definitely _cracked as a loud thud from the impact could have been heard. The winged supernatural being was brought back down to the ground with enough force to create a crater from her crash. Even if she didn't lose consciousness, it'll take plenty of time for her to recover. More than enough time for him to safely descend and prepare for any further ploys.

His senses flared as danger spiked towards his back. It was at the precise time in which he was still regaining his control from delivering the blow to Yuuma. He had completely forgotten the presence watching him from earlier. He made a foolish mistake of ignoring it until they presented themselves. And so they had, and it would be critical.

A spear of light pierced through his sides as he tried to spin to dodge. He wasn't quick enough after his body had reset itself, bringing him down to his natural limits. Regardless if he had been able to avoid damage to his heart and lungs, there was still the gaping hole on his waist. He cried out in pain as the descent was having his blood trail after him.

The crash was anything but pleasant. It made his wound flare up in pain. Not that it would matter as his carelessness had gotten him killed. He was losing too much blood way too fast. He'd be lucky if he could make it for three minutes.

Yuuma slowly rose from the ground, grunting in pain and holding her right shoulder. Her right arm was dangling uselessly. She was having difficulty breathing and coughing up blood. It was probably from her inhuman durability she was able to stand. A normal person would have been dead from having their lungs caved in.

"Looks like you were having trouble, Raynare," a man's voice said.

Another winged being, in a black cloak and pointed hat, landed softly on the ground. He smirked in amusement at the sight of his wounded counterpart.

"Doh…naseek…" wheezed Yuuma— or rather, Raynare. She tried to say more, but ended up in a coughing fit.

As though knowing what she was going to say, Dohnaseek shrugged with lax care, "You'd be dead if I didn't intervene. Not that I really care about you personally, but I think our little group would be disbanded without you. Azazel-sama would question your disappearance. We can't have him looking in to our affairs."

Issei tried to move. All of his instincts were telling him to live. He was going to die if he didn't stop the bleeding. He was going to die if he stayed here. These _things _were going to kill him.

He winced in pain. He was cursing himself so much. These two weren't the greatest threat he had ever faced, yet it was because they weren't as powerful he didn't take them as seriously. His sempai always told him to never underestimate an enemy. His instincts had told him there was danger potent enough to end his life, yet he treated it like nothing. It was the most foolish mistake he ever made, and one that was going to cost him his life.

The world was getting dark as his thoughts were starting to lose cognition. The feeling of pain could no longer keep him awake as it was gradually dying down. No, he was dying, that's what it was. His body was beginning to shut down, draconian nature or not.

If it bleeds, it can die.

But he wouldn't live that much longer anyways.

Raynare brought a spear of light into his chest, piercing his heart. A sickening glare of pure hatred was locked on her once beautiful face. Her breathing was less labored, but her voice was still hoarse.

"Don't blame me for this," she said. "Blame God for giving you a Sacred Gear."

Before the spear dissipated, Issei's world became dark. He couldn't find the meaning behind her words. Not that it mattered at this point. He was dead.

*Scene*

As soon as the sun rose over the horizon and touched his window, Issei was snapped at attention with enough clarity as though he had been shocked with an electric current through his spine. His body was registering potential harm and that's what made him fully awake. But as he looked around his room, he didn't see anything that would bring him into immediate danger. He didn't get the feeling something was going to suddenly strike from a great distance either.

Rather, as he focused on the feeling, the harm was already being done onto him. His instincts were telling him to go towards the shadows, away from the light. For what reason he couldn't understand, the sun itself was weakening him. It wasn't burning his skin or anything of the like, just draining him at a barely noticeable pace. Not necessarily a poison but… like a decent weight, he supposed.

He scratched his head in confusion. And from his fingers going against a certain section of his cranium did pain spike at his temple. God! He had the worst headache ever. Just what the hell was he doing last night? It felt like he got hit with another tank shell.

When he tried to recall what happened last night, he couldn't remember. He remembered going on a date with Yuuma… and that's it. He didn't even remember how he came home last night.

Whatever. He could just send her an email or something or ask one of his friends. No doubt his fellow perverts would have asked (threatened) for details as soon as the date was over. He must have contacted them to _rub it in their faces._

Since he was awake with no chance of going back to sleep, he might as well get up and start his regular routine. Plus it was a Sunday. He didn't have school and he had the whole day to fill out his responsibilities. Not that he would have slept in anyways. It's been three years since he's had the feeling to sleep more than four hours.

He was just glad the nightmares stopped a year ago.

In nothing but his boxers and his usual long sleeve, he went downstairs. And as usual, as it has been for three long years, everything was quiet. Though he no longer had the nightmares, he still had the phantasmal memories of his parents sitting together in the kitchen. His mother would be preparing breakfast, yelling at him to wake up, and his father would be reading the paper while drinking some coffee. To this day he could hear the clatter of their movements.

Perhaps he was forcing himself to remember their habitual noises. It was more like a mental trigger at this point whenever he climbed the last step. And it was always disappointing to turn around the corner and find himself alone.

Before going into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, he turned on the television to the usual setting— the one that would display six different channels at once. All of which were news channels. One was local, two were morning talk shows, and the other three were the stations that talked about the country as a whole as well as foreign affairs. Last, he flipped open the laptop placed on the counter. There were a large number of reports and messages to go over.

At breakfast, he paid attention to the news broadcasts while skimming through his notifications. A lot of the messages were from his sempai, particularly from Philips-sempai and Rolan-sempai. Philips let him know of potential threats that _might _happen while Rolan gave him the list of job requests the mercenary could have accepted. The rest were events that he couldn't fix with his powers alone.

But there were a few things he could do…

After cleaning the kitchen, showering, and dressing himself in his padded underclothes, he made way for the basement. There hadn't been one while his parents were still around, but thanks to Archibald-sempai it had been built and dated to have always existed in official records. Issei wasn't sure how the man had been able to manipulate the physical blueprints of the house with the papers being aged in exact date as their originals, but that was just the man's power.

Should anyone visit, if ever, they will find the basement to be just a usual concrete space to store things. There were a lot of trinkets such as photo albums, clothes, and toys from his childhood. The majority of things were his parents. However, once Issei walked under the wooden staircase and pushed open the secret door, it took him to a deeper part under his house. After following the usual path, he found his destination.

It was a large open lot of pure darkness. Not a trace of light leaked through as it was sealed in concrete, layered in lead, and buried so deep it even went under the subway and sewage. But Issei didn't need to see when in here; his other senses let him 'see' the void of the area. It was only used as a tunnel to get him out of the city without being spotted.

**"Balance Breaker."**

*Scene*

Once more he awoke before his alarm could go off. That was twice the rising of the sun had triggered his survival instincts. He didn't know what to make of it. He never had this problem before. And it's not like he could ask anyone about this. Going to a hospital was immediately out of the question. Imagine everyone's surprise when they examine him to find out he wasn't _completely _human anymore. As tempting as it was to curb that three-year-long curiosity about what his insides were like, he didn't want anyone else to know.

Especially if they decided to take a blood sample.

He wondered if he should ask one of his sempai for help. Maybe the Dragon Slayer would be able to give him an appropriate diagnosis. But then again… he's already asked them for much and didn't want to burden them any further. They had their own problems. Besides, nothing screamed at him to run as far away as possible louder than when being in the same room as Siegfried-sempai.

Unless something serious came up, like he was puking blood or on his deathbed, he wasn't going to chance being alone with the Dragon Slayer.

He turned off his alarm before it could go off and hopped in the shower. He was so tired last night he had forgotten to record any of the news stations to see if anyone else reported another sighting of the 'red blur'. And if there was a sighting of the red, there was assured to be the white one close behind. So many times he was tempted to stick around to see who the other one who had similar powers was. But their meeting might stir up trouble. It was one thing that the world was aware of his existence, it would be another if he gave them the chance to know what he could and couldn't do.

And then there was the white one. Who was he? What was he? Was it even a he? Why did the white one always follow him? These were the things that haunted his mind to the point where he was ready to snap. He was so damn curious so many times he wanted to say the hell with caution and just meet.

Imagine if it was a smoking hot babe under all that white armor. And she followed him because they were destined to be 'partners'.

He wished. He didn't get that sort of vibe when watching the German footage. His primal instincts had told him the white one was _challenging _him.

…Still didn't stop him from imagining **if **it was a hot babe.

*Scene*

"Hey guys," Issei asked his friends as soon as school was over. He would have asked them sooner if that blazing sun didn't give him such a headache. His fellow perverts were going on about what eroge they beat this weekend, but Issei had difficulty following them. He had difficulty during class more than usual for that matter. He wasn't that great with school to begin with, but seriously…

"Do you happen to know what happened Saturday night?"

His friends looked at him strangely.

"Saturday? Why? Were we supposed to meet up somewhere or something?" asked Matsuda.

Issei raised a brow. "Huh? Didn't I tell you I had a date?"

Silence.

…And then the two began laughing hysterically.

"I-I'm serious!" Issei defended his pride as a man. Yeah, so he was a pervert who was hated by every single girl within the entire school (potentially the whole city) but he had managed to score! Granted the girl was more than likely to have been forced to date him from some penalty game from her friends, but they went on a date regardless dammit!

Motohama fixed his glasses and smirked. "Please Ise-kun, the chances of you getting a girlfriend are equally just as absent as ours."

"That's right!" boasted Matsuda with pride… for whatever reason. "The three of us are at the bottom of the tier! Besides, if you did get a girlfriend, we'd have to bring you back down to our level."

Issei sweatdropped. Yeah, his friends had threatened him when he had told them about Yuuma with the same thing. So he planned on proving he went on a date by taking a picture with her with his cellphone.

Oh wait. The picture. That's right.

…Only when Issei scanned through his phone he couldn't find it. He was sure the phone captured them together at the café. But as he was looking for more proof of her existing, he found that her email address was no longer registered in his contacts. Grimacing at this, he decided to dial the phone number he had memorized. He had stared at it the day before it had practically branded itself into his skull.

As expected, the number was not in service.

…He didn't imagine having a date… did he?

"Well, whatever," Matsuda waved it off. "Say, why don't we all go back to my place and watch my secret collection?"

"That's an excellent idea," Motohama gave a lecherous smirk. "Matsuda-kun, you should invite Ise-kun. It might do well since he hasn't been himself all day."

Issei shrugged. Naturally they would have noticed he wasn't himself when he turned down their offer to peek on the girls' locker room for the umpteenth time at lunch.

"Of course I'm going to invite him, Motohama-kun. We are high school boys who move with sexual desires. If we don't do anything perverted, it would be disrespectful to our parents who gave birth… to…"

Silence.

"I-Ise-kun…" his bald friend realized what he had said. "I… um… that is…"

However, Issei put a firm hand on his friend's shoulder and looked with fierce determination. "Okay then! Today, we won't hold back! We'll get some soda and chips while watching porn movies!"

His outburst was heard by everyone within the vicinity. By this point in their high school career, everyone had learned to expect this sort of deal from the three. However, there will never be a day when they could grow _comfortable _with them. After all, who would want to be okay with a group of young men with the highest potential in the entire world in becoming sexual assaulters?

His words also sliced the tension between their group better than his claws through mundane steel.

"Oh! Yeah, that's it! That's definitely the Ise we know!"

"That's the spirit. We need to enjoy our youth even more."

Matsuda and Motohama responded respectively to his declaration.

Issei smiled. The hell with if he did or didn't go on a date. Besides, someone as cute and perfect as Yuuma couldn't have existed in the first place. Though it broke his heart, he had to come to terms with the realization that _no girl _would actually date him. Even those who were forced to as a penalty game couldn't last more than an hour and showed their obvious disgust.

And if that was the case, then he'd rather look at hentai and use his mind's eye to swap himself with the main protagonist.

…Nah who was he kidding. He was crying on the inside. Why couldn't Yuuma be real?!

"Kya~" one of the girls in the class squealed in delight. "It's Rias-oneesama!"

Within a blink of an eye, everyone dropped what they were doing and crammed themselves to the windows, including the three perverts.

Who didn't know about _the _Rias Gremory? She was the number one most popular girl among all of Kuoh Academy, by both boys and girls. She was of English descent who chose to attend a Japanese school due to the business involvements of her father. It was obvious too. She had fair skin, the most dazzling blue eyes, an hourglass figure with the greatest of breasts, and flowing crimson hair…

…the same shade as blood.

Issei's hand went over to his waist where he felt the remnants of a pain that wasn't there. There was a flash of… something within his mind. Sure he had seen Rias a few times before, but it felt like he had _seen _her before, if that could make sense. Crimson hair… crimson blood… why did his chest and side ache so much…?

The strangest thing happened. Of the many times he was within range of Rias Gremory, she always continued with her pace as though she couldn't be bothered by anyone else. Not out of arrogance, but rather like a queen who her people would shun should she suddenly start talking to _commoners. _That, and the Rias Fan Club would murder the lone individual she talked to.

The strange thing that happened was Rias had broken out of this norm. Her eyes snapped up to his and she gave the lightest and lovely of smiles.

Normally, Issei wouldn't believe for a second she was looking at him. However, something within him stirred and he _knew _she was looking at him. How that smile was just for him. It was a primal feeling he was unfamiliar with. Love? No, something more definite. Something that was making him aware of her presence, of her beauty, of her feelings. How she was suddenly his whole world.

Issei, being a pervert and all, would have been like this by default. But when there was a _force _telling him otherwise, he naturally had to take a step back.

The feeling was subservience, he realized.

Rias Gremory wasn't giving him a smile of arrogance, believing she was a greater being above him like every other woman did. She was presenting an authority that said so. Like he was wearing a collar and she holding the leash.

It pissed him off. S&amp;M he was okay with. But _this_? There was nothing perverted about it. This was a girl who had, somehow, claimed every fiber of his being for herself. This wasn't natural. His draconian nature wouldn't— _couldn't _allow it.

His title as Eighth couldn't allow someone to be above him.

Rias saw his displeasure. Her smile faltered as her brows scrunched up in slight confusion. No matter what expression she had, it was absolutely breathtaking anyways.

The girls squealed and the boys cheered.

"Oi, Ise-kun, you alright?"

Issei blinked as soon as Rias was out of his sight. He didn't know what that was about. Whatever it was left him clenching his left side. His face felt stiff. He wondered how long he was glaring at her.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he released his grip and flexed his fingers. His hand was a little stiff. "A-Actually… I'm not feeling so well today. I think I'm going to just head home for today."

"Eh?" his friends gawked in unison. The glasses wearing Motohama said, "Do you have some kind of illness? No, it can't be. There is no way that you, the manifestation of all sexual desires, would fall sick."

Issei tried to smile at that. Tried. There were some things that came out of Motohama's mouth that really hurt. "It might have been something I ate. I'll join you guys next time."

*Scene*

Home was forever a depressing place to be. There was no one to return to other than his own isolation. It also wasn't the day to travel the world. In order to avoid being traced back to Japan, Issei had come up with a randomly generated schedule of when he was to go out saving people. The 'red blur' couldn't be saving people during only the time when most Japanese schools didn't hold classes. People would get suspicious. And so, there were days when he had to skip classes to go out. He also had to stretch out and even his schedule so that it wouldn't harm his grades. As much as he hated doing so, he had to make time to study and homework.

Regardless, going home was something he wanted to avoid at the moment. But he also didn't have anything to do. Perhaps he should have gone with his friends to watch porn. It sure as hell would have been much better than brooding around the city. Well, with nothing else to do, he decided to just wander. Maybe he'll catch some crooks trying to have their way with some girl, only for him to swoop in and save the day.

…And receive a reward from the damsel? Sounds like a plan.

As the sun began to set with his hours of wandering going to waste— there wasn't so much as a girl to save as there was crime to stop to begin with in the _whole freaking city!_— he began to notice some things.

The dragon blood had enhanced his senses above human standards. But he had them for three years and so had grown accustomed to them. However, as it began to get darker and darker, he noticed his senses were being enhanced further. He could see within the darkness when there was no light, could hear the conversations of people from as far as his eyes could see, and his scent of smell could pick up, recognize, and sort the various _stenches _of the city.

Luckily he could also block them off. Like hell he wanted to smell the sewage under the sidewalk.

He didn't know what was going on or why. He couldn't even come up with a theory. Clearly something had happened to him at some point. His body hadn't gone through such a metamorphosis since three years ago. However, nothing came to mind within the past few days. But then again… there was that large chunk of memory he couldn't recall from Saturday night. Despite what his friends might say, he remembers that date. But... at some point the memories cut off…

The last thing he remembered was walking side by side through the park…

*Scene*

"Well this is rare…"

Issei knew that voice. Or at least he thought he did. The sound and tone rang a chime through his head, but he couldn't recognize the owner.

Issei had come to the park, not really expecting anything but rather hoping to find some clues as to what happened a few days ago. His head was aching a little as he could pick up a few flash images here and there. He saw light, black feathers, the sound of explosions, and then there was the feeling of being stabbed in the chest. From his experience, he could at least piece together there was some kind of fight he was involved in. But he couldn't make sense of it, especially about the part on how he came home unscathed in the first place.

The area was immaculate as it had always been, but that was irrelevant as he knew there were forces and organizations that specialized in covering the damages caused by supernatural beings. He did wish he was one of those beings who could find out who was responsible for cleaning the area, however.

When he turned away from the fountain, the appearance of a tall man in a dark suit and fedora was approaching him. Not only was his voice familiar but as well as his appearance.

"I didn't expect you to be revived as a Devil," he went on. "Who is your Master?"

The image of Rias Gremory flashed through his mind at the word 'Master'. Almost out of instinct, he responded, "I have no Master." Although, he had no idea what it meant.

"…I see," nodded the man. Black wings sprouted from his back. "Then that would make you a Stray. So it wouldn't be a problem if I kill you."

He extended his right hand. The shadows of the area grew as light was being absorbed into his hand. It manifested into solid form, taking the shape of a spade-bladed spear.

Wings and a spear of light… The memories were starting to come together.

"H-Hey wait a minute!" Issei shot his hands up and waved frantically. He took several steps back to gain as much distance as possible, not before doubling his potential just in case. "What the hell is that? A-Are those wings?! What is going on? Here, take my money! Just don't hurt me!"

He knew he had fought something like this before. The phantom pain to his side and heart confirmed that. He needed to take him on seriously else screw up like last time… however last time ended up, but still! And in order to do that, he needed time.

The more time he wasted the higher his potential could be doubled.

To show he was serious, Issei even pulled out his wallet, dropped it to his feet, and took several steps away.

The man frowned, "How strange. Though it is not uncommon for the dead to suffer memory loss… You don't expect to fool me with that charade, do you? I've seen what you can do."

Issei frowned. Well, that sucks. But the strategy wasn't hopeless yet.

He fell to his hands and knees and bowed. "Please don't kill me! I haven't achieved my goal of obtaining a harem yet!"

That right there consumed ten seconds of silence. The winged man didn't know how to properly respond. He opened his mouth and then shut it. "…You can't be serious."

"Of course I am!" Issei burst with passion. "What man wouldn't want to have a harem?! To fall asleep every night with pillows of breasts! It's what I live for!"

Again, the man paused. He sighed, "You base creatures are so simple-minded. Devil or not, you were once human. Of course your desires would be so primitive. And I don't doubt those desires are stronger than ever because you're now a Devil."

Issei laughed nervously as has scratched his head, "So does this mean you'll let me go?"

"No."

"Oh… Well, could I make one last request then?"

"I'm not going to find you a woman or anything of the sort."

"No, no, not that," he waved it off, but began to drool. "It would have been nice though. Spending the last night alive on this world with a beautiful—"

"Out with it," the winged being was growing impatient.

Issei was actually surprised he was willing to listen. "Ah. Well, could you tell me what this is about? Seems like a waste and all not knowing why I'm about to die."

The man's eyes narrowed in contemplation, taking up more time in the process. "Very well. I see no point in telling you since you're about to die. We simply see you as a potential threat because of what you contain within you. We're not sure what Sacred Gear you contain, but if it has Azazel-sama's interest then it means it is something of high potential. We can't afford to have you awakening its power, and so we decided to eliminate you before you become a threat. It's nothing personal."

The memories were beginning to come together. Yuuma was also a winged being who could throw violet spears of light. Yuuma wasn't her name either. What was it…?

"Then can I have the name of the one who is about to kill me?"

"Dohnaseek," the supernatural being replied while raising his spear up. "Now enough!"

"One last thing."

"What?!"

This time, Issei smiled. "Explosion."

Recognition surfaced from Dohnaseek's face as his eyes widened. He must have seen this technique before. But it was too late. Issei had been able to drag out two minutes. A total of 140 seconds of idle conversation. And if he could double his base potential every ten seconds, he had doubled them fourteen times.

Imagine a weakling only able to lift fifty pounds. If his abilities are doubled, then he could lift up to a hundred pounds. If this is done fourteen times, then he will be able to lift 700 pounds.

Except Issei was far from being weak. His body was enhanced by draconian blood— in which he had three years for his body to finish adapting to. He was far more durable than any average human being. Hell, he was probably stronger than the strongest man alive. His limits went above and beyond the norm of a human's.

And this freakish power was multiplied fourteen times.

Thunder struck loud enough to make anyone nearby rupture their eardrums by the sound of impact coming from Issei's fist to Dohnaseek's face. There never was a chance for the winged being to react in time. It was simply impossible. Sure he moved, he _tried _to do something, but Issei couldn't tell whether it was to defend or attack. It was but an instant when Issei crossed the distance and delivered his strike.

Dohnaseek was sent flying, breaking through benches and trees alike as though they were made of paper.

Issei gave a sigh of relief as his body reset to its natural standard. The memories finally came back and set into his mind. He had forgotten them due to damage from the blood loss. At least he had been able to get them back, let alone being fully functional and not some kind of spud— being revived or not be damned. It would _suck _if he couldn't feel anything downstairs.

…But it didn't answer how he had been able to get home. He remembered Dohnaseek's surprise attack and then _Raynare _delivering the final blow. But that's it. Perhaps… what happened afterwards transpired outside his consciousness?

"How…"

Issei grimaced. It hadn't been his aim to kill him, but _seriously_?! The guy took the blunt force of a truck going as fast as a bullet! Yet, Dohnaseek was making his way back to the fountain. That wasn't to say he was unscathed. His nose was clearly broken and leaking blood and his left eye was completely shut. His clothes were in tatters with a few splinters sticking out of his limbs.

He gritted his teeth and continued, "How _dare _a low species like you do this to me. I'll not forgive you for this. I'm going to torture you until you beg for mercy."

The mood had shifted. Dohnaseek's killing intent spiked. But as he had grown serious, so too had Issei. He underestimated his opponent once and it cost him his life. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

**"Balance—"**

A bright crimson glow erupted between them. Dohnaseek growled in frustration while Issei had to shield his eyes from the light. But he recognized the markings of a magic circle etching themselves into the ground. He couldn't tell what sort of spell was being cast nor could he sense the origin of the caster. Just in case, he took several leaps back.

It never was a hostile spell. It was a summoning circle. When the lights died down, the presence of a crimson haired beauty stood between the two. Issei didn't need to see her face to know who it was.

Dohnaseek's eyes narrowed with disgust. "Crimson hair… You must be of the House of Gremory."

Rias Gremory gave a pleasant smile after taking the moment to eye his condition as well as the surroundings. Her face was full of questions, but politesse was her priority. "My name is Rias Gremory. How are you doing, Fallen Angel-san? If you are trying to hurt this boy, then I won't hold back."

The… Fallen Angel looked between Rias and Issei as though weighing the value of them both rather than finding the truth behind her words. He frowned as he found the odds weren't in his favor. "So this one belongs to you… And this town is also a part of your territory. Well. For today, I will apologize. But I advise you to not let your servant loose. People like me might slay him while having a walk."

"Thanks for the advice," though her remark could never be taken seriously, there wasn't a sign of sarcasm within her. This down is under my surveillance. So, if you get in my way, then I won't hold back."

"I will say the same to you, heiress of the House of Gremory. As I told the boy, my name is Dohnaseek. I hope we won't meet again."

The black winged angel nodded once to Rias. His head turned towards Issei, who continued to stack boosts just in case. The Fallen Angel narrowed his eyes as though noticing the rise in physical prowess, but nodded just as well. With that, his wings fluttered open and he took off towards the sky.

…Leaving Issei alone with Rias.

God— he winced from a sharp pain to his head— why couldn't he be alone with her under _normal _circumstances? No, someone like her would never give him a second glance even if they were bound together within the same room. Instead, he was alone with her under _weird _circumstances. Oh how he wanted to go into the corner and cry. The greatest beauty and total bombshell of the academy and he had to be _professional _with her.

"So," Issei began in a serious tone while he was crying on the inside, "what's this about me being revived as a Devil, _Master_?"

Crying? No, he was sobbing and pounding his fists on the metaphorical floor. Rias Gremory was so _hot _and he couldn't do _anything _with her… Not that he could have to begin with. But come on!

The crimson haired beauty turned around to look at him. She gave a radiant smile that almost melted his knees. Almost. He had to stay firm. But it didn't stop him from grinning like an idiot. "I see. So you know, that stuff that happened the other day wasn't a dream."

Issei wiped the drool from his lips. "Y-Yeah I kinda figured…"

"I'm sorry for not informing you at an earlier convenience. When I tried visiting your home I couldn't find you anywhere. And with all the fuss happening lately at school I couldn't find the time to approach you either."

"No, no," Issei assured her. "I think I understand. We all have our responsibilities."

She nodded in agreement. "Right, I believe we should move to a more secluded area. Where exactly do you live?"

Within his metaphorical space within his head, he was now banging his skull against the ground as hard as he could while shedding tears of blood. _Rias Gremory _wanted to come to his place! They would be alone! It was like a dream come true!

"I think here is secluded enough," was his reply. He was a pervert before he was anything else, he _constantly _told himself. He might as well cut off his manhood at this point. If it were true, he'd gladly bring Rias into his home. But instead, he was keeping her at bay.

Screw safety! This is Rias freaking Gremory! You'll _never _have a chance like this again Hyoudou Issei!

"Sorry if I'm not so trusting right away," he elaborated when she gave him a curious look. "I was attacked by… _Fallen Angels _and then revived as a… _Devil _without any prior knowledge. But I suppose it would explain what's going on with my body. I am grateful that I'm still alive, but I can't help but wonder for what reason."

Rias looked a little surprised. Only a little. She either had the skill to keep her emotions in check or there was a part of her that had expected him to respond this way.

"You're… different from how you behave at school," she began.

Issei scratched his chin. "Don't get me wrong. I'm only like this when I have to be. Honestly, I'd love to bring you back home to my house. I-I mean I wouldn't do anything! Not that I think you're not hot or anything! I mean… I just… You see…"

Rias giggled at him. _Giggled_! She didn't look at him with disgust or call him a plethora of foul names.

Yeah, and Yuuma— _Raynare _acted the same way.

At the sign of him grimacing, Rias placed her hands on her hips and nodded. "Very well. As you had heard, my name is Rias Gremory, heiress to the House of Gremory. And I am a Devil."

At her declaration, black bat-like wings sprouted out of her back, kicking up small bursts of wind at their summoning.

Issei felt something stir within him at the sight of them. It felt like an urge to do something. Letting the urge flow naturally through his body, he found a familiar sensation burst through his back. But instead of sprouting from his shoulder blades, a pair of black wings sprouted at the arch of his back. His brows shot up. He hadn't realized his physiology had changed _that _much. And unlike his draconian wings, these didn't require a mark on his body to hide.

"That's a nice look," Rias grinned. "But you shouldn't have that on your face. There are plenty of supernatural things around the world if you know where to look."

…Oh. He knew. He came across _plenty. _This was just the first time he had ever heard of _real _Fallen Angels and Devils.

"From this point onwards," Rias went on, "because of your death, you have been reincarnated as a Devil under my peerage. I am your King. It's nice to finally meet you, Hyoudou Issei. Or can I call you Ise-kun?" She finished with a smile and a cute tilt of her head.

There was a moment when Issei closed his eyes and thought. Rias was polite enough to leave him alone. However, when plenty of time had passed enough for her to grow concerned, she decided to wait further. And when that time expired, she decided to try and stir him.

His eyes snapped open at the sound of her first step. Hyoudou Issei, the greatest pervert who had ever walked Kuoh Academy halls, was replaced with the eyes of… to be quite honest, Rias wasn't sure _what _could be used as a comparison. Not a beast but not human. Not an enemy but not an ally. Someone who had the eyes of one who had seen countless bloodshed but had never taken a life at the same time.

But it also made Rias uneasy. The look he was giving her was like an appraiser would, judging her for all her worth.

…Deciding whether to abandon her, follow her, or strike her down now.

And for some reason, Rias had the feeling he _could._

The feeling vanished as he gave her a large grin. "Wow this is seriously like a dream come true! I'm seriously going to be with you always, Sempai?"

Rias blinked. "Y-Yes. As you are now a part of my peerage, you and I will be together from here on out. Of course, I'll have to introduce you to the others."

She could swear she saw stars within his eyes. "This is so awesome! Alright, alright. I'm Hyoudou Issei, and of course you can call me Ise. And if it weren't for you I would have been dead, so of course I'll serve you. My life is yours to do with as you please~"

Rias smiled.

"However," Issei's tone shifted to neutral. "I will determine for myself whether or not you will be my _Master _and _King. _I will serve you and obey your every order, but if I don't find you worthy of my loyalty, you will find it that much harder to control me."


	2. A New Devil

**A note from the author!**

Hello everyone and thank you for reading.

So some quick mentions. I made a few mistakes from the opening chapter. They were minor but should be acknowledged. So real quick:

I messed up the colors of the White Dragon Emperor's wings. To that, I say woops.

Issei's draconian eyes should be green, not gold. Again, I say woops. Also, his natural eye color is brown when he is not activating his abilities.

Issei bears the Boosted Gear; not necessarily a mistake but I didn't really mention what it was. He has wings because of something else that will be explained in the future. Also, due to his current... 'understanding' with Draigg, he can't hear his voice nor can he manifest the gauntlet. Though he can still use the Boost command, he cannot Transfer; yet he still has access to the Scale Mail. Juggernaut Drive will be explained in the future.

Last, he is not really part of some organization. It's a little difficult to explain but will be when the story progresses. But for those who want answers immediately, I direct you towards my other work, The Doll Maker. Chapter Four to be exact. The character of that chapter goes into details on what a 'Predator' is.

Oh, before I forget, the title of the story is called "Eighth, the Dragoon". I don't believe the title of Dragoon is fitting. If anyone can provide a more suitable title I would greatly appreciate it and give recognition.

Now without further ado, please enjoy!

* * *

With great power comes great responsibility.

It was a line Issei had read in an American comic so many years ago and he had taken it to heart. After all, if he was the greatest sexual deviant to live throughout all of history then surely he should use his perversion as a means to become the Harem King, right? It was his responsibility to all perverts everywhere to set the standards on what to achieve and how high.

He also had the responsibility as one who holds the title of Eighth Predator.

So long as he was recognized by the cognitive will of the Ruler of the World as the Eighth, he would forever be the world's defender. He had never been deployed to save the world from a cataclysmic event like some of his eldest sempai have. He was glad yet at the same time disappointed. He was glad because the trials he overcame on a regular base were _nothing _compared to disasters that could bring humanity to extinction. He was also disappointed because he had the need to prove himself.

Other than being called should the world in its entirety will be in danger; the Predators were free to do whatever they pleased. They could even destroy other countries if they so choose, so long as it doesn't threaten the world's ability to progress forward. Some didn't care about foreign affairs and remained defending their home country, some went out to be heroes like Issei, and some didn't care about others in the slightest and often brought carnage for their own sakes.

As much as Issei hated those few selfish sempai, he had no right to ridicule them. They were all his equals and stood with him on fair ground. Their titles only stated their seniority, not their rank in power. Eighth was just as powerful as First. It would be impossible arguing with one. It was a part of a silent pact between each of them to never fight against another. Not only would the battle be pointless as no victor would be able to be decided, but the battle would surely bring enough carnage to destroy their surroundings… and then some.

Regardless, if they didn't want to use their _ridiculous _powers for good, Issei wouldn't go out of his way to try and change their minds. Just the same, they never said anything about his ideals. They never supported him, but they didn't hinder him all the same. When he asked for something of them, they usually gave it to him at a price.

It was unfortunate. Despite having seven other equals, Issei was alone.

*Scene*

His wings blazed through Space as he flew towards his destination. He was entering Rolan-sempai's territory as he crossed the invisible line over the Pacific Ocean. However, Sixth Predator wasn't willing to go out of his way to stop this threat and so decided to send a message to Eighth. The _shrimp _was even willing to pay for his services.

Issei wouldn't have refused regardless. He would have done it for free. It just aggravated him so much how one of his fellows wouldn't be bothered if some several thousand people were killed.

The sun should be shining but instead the skies were darkened by black clouds. A storm was brewing and expanding in an unnatural pace. The clouds were too dark, the lightning was too ecstatic, and the winds were fierce enough to splice metal and concrete alike. At this rate, it would reach the shores of South America in less than an hour.

Without hesitating, Issei dove into the clouds. The winds buckled and tossed him around inside his armor, but the dragon metal held firm while his wings continued to direct him to the heart. As though sensing his arrival, the storm came alive and threw everything at him. Blades of wind and bursts of lightning bombarded him. But his wings guided him to the most secure path with the least amount of penalties. He was surrounded and despite his best abilities could not proceed without damage. But what struck him was deflected with a swift punch or kick.

Issei was one of the few who could claim to have ever _punched _lightning.

His draconian wings burned brighter as he willed himself to move faster. Spiraling, twisting, zigzagging at tight corners— whoever or whatever was directing the storm could not get a lock on his flight pattern. The lightning and wind could not leave a critical attack other than skimming the surface of his armor or to have him deflect them. Were they normal dragon wings, the wind would have affected their flight. Issei would have been useless in this storm and tossed around like a doll.

It was a good thing they weren't normal. They did not use wind currents to sustain him. They used a much more abstract XYZ formula of defining space. That is to say, they moved _through _the first three dimensions by his will.

But there was a price for its use. There was always a price.

His senses finally picked up the core of the storm. There were three signatures. To the best of his abilities, he would have to say they resembled Lightning, Wind, and Water. But at the same time those weren't the most correct of concepts to use in identifying them. They could have been Storm, Rain, and Thunder as well.

It didn't matter. He found them. There was no need for talk. Trying to convince them to go away at this deep in development of their plan was like asking a girl to _willingly _go out with Issei. It was just impossible. And it hurt.

Without further thoughts, he engaged.

"This is for making me miss the **Little Sister Love Fest Extended Edition** release!"

He had waited half a year for that eroge to come out dammit!

*Scene*

With only two hours of sleep, the feeling of the sun hitting his window was like a slap to the face. Being a Devil sucks if he had to wake up like this every day for the rest of his life. He had gotten the rundown of what it meant to be a Devil last night by Rias— or _Buchou _as she prefers. Devils were extremely sensitive to the light and were more susceptible to harm by weapons of light such as the Fallen Angels' spears. At the same time, Devils were more powerful in the dark, especially at night.

Unfortunately, further explanations were cut short when Issei received that emergency message from his sempai. He had to excuse himself, run home, and then take off after preparations.

He came home a few hours before dawn smelling like smoked chicken. His armor protected him well against some of the fatal attacks, but the channeling of electricity still reached his skin. It was thanks to his draconian attributes that he could push the harm aside and keep fighting.

But it was _super _gross when taking off his gear to find the damage had been so severe he had to shed skin. That whole process took a good hour. And not wanting to smell like fresh skin, which is gross by the way, he had to shower and scrub every inch of his body until the stench had faded. It was only then could he climb into bed and sleep.

He had planned on ditching school and using the morning to recover. He was _tired _from fighting three highly ranked supernatural beings simultaneously. But that accursed sun prodded him! The sun itself was now on his shitlist.

Grunting, Issei pulled the covers over his head like a child and turned his back against the window. But when he turned to his side, his face pressed itself against something… soft yet firm. He didn't recall buying pillows like these, nor could he recall bringing anything to his bed that could have been this. He juggled with his mind whether he should open his eyes to see what it was or just go to sleep. Sleep won and so he decided to just bury his face further into this splendor.

"Mmm~"

…Only to hear a soft moan that slapped him just as hard as the sun had. One slap to the face he could ignore. Two? Now there was no hope of him going back to sleep, regardless of how tired his body…

He was confused. He didn't feel so tired after all. After expending fifty-nine times his potential over an exhausting battle, delivering rattling blows and receiving some himself, he should have been tired enough to hibernate for the rest of the season. So why did he feel so… rejuvenated?

Something in his bed stirred. There was something else under these sheets with him! But before he could jump out, a pair of slender arms wrapped around him and pulled him in closer between the pair of pillows. Wait. Arms… A pair of bun-shaped pillows… Oh.

Issei shot his eyes open, only to stare directly into a cream colored texture with a pink _perky _tip. Its shape was beautiful, and one he was most familiar with from all the porn he's watched. But never before did he ever imagine seeing something like this so up close and personal! No, he must be imagining it! There's just no way any of this could be real.

"Suu~" his sharp ears perked at the sound of soft snores.

Oh. So this was really happening. This was _really _happening! Such a situation was only found for main protagonists of some poor-in-quality light novel, but still the root of Issei's envy. Oh how he wanted to snuggle close within this busom and cry his eyes out. This was one of his lifelong dreams! To wake up suddenly within the arms of a beautiful maiden. Being naked was just an added bonus!

However, as much as he _wanted _to behave this way, both his mind and body were reacting in a completely different manner.

"OOOooooowwwwaaaaaaa!"

…To freak the hell out.

No one could sleep through his outburst. The girl was a little startled and released her grip in just the right time when Issei instinctively jumped out of his bed, dragging the sheets along with him. When he fell to the floor, he continued to gain as much distance as possible until his back was against the dresser.

"Mmm… Morning already?"

Rias Gremory sat up wearily while wiping the sleep out of her eyes. Her naked body was his to see in all its glory. Issei had heard from the girls in his class that they were nothing without their makeup and usually a mess after waking up. If this was true, then Rias Gremory was something above the standards of a woman, Devil or not. Still a little groggy and her hair a little ruffled, she was still _gorgeous. _Her beauty was all natural and didn't need any makeup to look this amazing. It's like she would have to try to look bad.

"Good morning, Ise-kun~" she gave him a lovely smile after gaining her bearings.

"G-Good morning, Buchou," Issei gulped nervously as his voice was monotone, almost mechanical. All of his attention was drawn to her exposed breasts.

She stretched with her arms extended over her head, giving him an even better look at the curves of her body. And without shame, she stood from his bed and immediately went for his desk. She was just strolling in the nude for him to see without a care in the world!

Oh and look, she was dressing herself with the school uniform she must have left on his desk. Even bending over to put on her panties. And let it be known Issei could see _everything._

Even a pervert like him had his limits. Unless he wanted to suffer from passing out due to the extreme quantities of blood rushing to his head, he had to force himself to look away. It ached him so to turn his head against such an immaculate wonder. This was art at its finest! No god in all of existence could have crafted a more ideal figure. Those Greek statues with all their so-called perfect measurements were _nothing _compared to the Rias Gremory!

But even something so perfect could be spoiled if gazed at it under the wrong conditions.

"B-B-Buchou! I can see everything!" Issei blurted out as he shut his eyes, turned his head, and covered his vision with his arm to keep her purity intact… and to hide the tears starting to gather from his eyes.

He needed to be strong. This may have been a once in a lifetime chance, but if such a miracle could appear within his abode then surely it could happen again! His life was no within the hands of the Gremory heiress as he had sworn to serve her from here on out. They would be spending plenty of time together. So if he played his cards right, and if he behaved more of a concerned servant than some creep, then perhaps she wouldn't shun him and _reward _him in the future.

Rias paused in her dressing to look at him. She replied nonchalantly, "If you want to see it, then go ahead."

The world suddenly stopped.

Issei hunched his body on all fours by her words. His heart skipped a beat as he fell into a flash sweat. Impossible. Could those words be used in a sentence? Did those words exist within the Japanese language? Could the laws that made up the world in its entirety, what kept it spinning, what kept humanity thriving— could it _allow _such words to be spoken?! Could _the _Rias Gremory be giving _him, _Hyoudou Issei, permission to observe her naked body?!

Yes, she was.

Issei had just seen the truth of the world. And it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Nay, it was so magnanimous he couldn't look directly at it else be burned by its brightness. This time, he did not hide the tears nor did he hold them back. His eyes poured streams of manliness as the elder gods of perversion and debauchery were smiling at them. He knew this path would reward him someday. Lo and behold, he didn't just get any girl naked before him. He got _the _girl!

"By the way, how are you feeling?"

Putting his mental breakdown aside, Issei looked up by her words. Perhaps she knew something about him due to their new link and had been able to detect the condition of his body. He couldn't tell unless he had a little more information about what it meant to be her servant.

While fixing the position of her bra, Rias elaborated, "I took the liberty of replenishing you with some of my own energy since you looked so tired when I arrived. The process took some time and your bed was quite comfy… so I must have dozed off at the end. I initially tried to enter as soon as you returned home, but I had difficulty. It wasn't until I had Akeno examine the structure of your defenses could I teleport here. Honestly, if I haven't you would've slept until nightfall."

She concluded with a small sigh and a hand to her head as though this was deeply troubling.

Never mind the breaking and entering part of her explanation…

"Um…" Issei wasn't sure what to say other than, "Thank you? But Buchou, why were you naked in the first place?"

"Hmm? Oh, it makes it that much easier for me to transfer energy. Clothes usually disrupt the flow so I took the liberty of disrobing the both of us."

Issei took a moment to think about her words. He blinked and looked down at himself. He blanched. True to her words, he was naked as was the day he was born. Tired or not, he should have sensed someone entering his home. He _especially _should have noticed someone stripping him in his sleep.

Feeling so… violated, Issei wrapped the sheet all over him and turned away from Rias, shivering and sobering nonsense about never being able to get married. Like a little girl.

"…You're not a normal human, are you, Ise-kun?"

The boy realized something else at that moment. When she stripped him of all his clothing, including the skintight underclothes, she must have seen what was etched onto his back.

With the sound of her clothes shifting against her skin, Rias continued in a firm tone, "You were able to wound two Fallen Angels, place several different types of anti-infiltration traps to keep both the supernatural and mundane at bay within your home, and let's not begin with your energy signature being completely different from that of a human _and _Devil. Issei, just what are you?"

She didn't mention his wings. Why?

Issei turned his head and gave his best smile. He recited what he had practiced in front of the mirror a hundred of times, albeit poorly, "Everyone has their secrets, Buchou."

Rias cocked a brow, but shrugged. "Fair enough. I'll not pry if you don't want to share. But I hope you can trust me enough one day to tell me."

"Thank you, Buchou," he gave a better smile. As his supposed Master, Rias had it within her rights to order him to share his secrets. He had promised to serve her accordingly, however if she had ordered it then he would have provided the bare minimum. Yet she respected his privacy and he could sense the good intentions within her. It was probably why he had been able to sleep without noticing her.

There wasn't a shred of malevolence from her, unlike with Yuuma. Her actions and words were sincere and truly meant only for his best interest. If this was how Rias Gremory ruled, then she might be worthy of him calling her 'King'.

*Scene*

"Rias-oneesama… No…"

"W-With him of all people?!"

"Impossible!"

"Why?! Whhhyyyyyyy?!"

It was a strange feeling. Arriving on several battlefields and feeling malevolence directed towards him upon his arrival, Issei wasn't unfamiliar to the feelings of dark intentions. Soldiers, mercenaries, crusaders, terrorists— all of these things always looked at him with the desire to kill him. Usually Issei moved too fast for any of them to succeed, let alone identity him other than as the 'red blur'. He also moved too fast to look at their faces. But the feeling as a whole was always like walking through a thick mist. It surrounded him and made him shiver by how cold it was, but nowhere near enough to stop him in his tracks.

_This _feeling, however, was transcendently different. Hellfire of bullets, tank shells, missiles, magic, and mystic beasts he could withstand and charge on without hesitation. He's stared into the face of Evil quite a few times. He's pissed off a few of his sempai before and invoked the wrath of Serene-sempai, the Divine Beast Predator. Simply, he's seem some of the worst the world had to offer.

But all of that paled in comparison to walking side-by-side with Rias Gremory. Straight through the academy gates. In front of _everyone._

The amount of murder intent radiating off of teenagers surpassed anything he'd ever face. As a pervert, he had felt it from his classmates before, but never at this scale. Apparently just being seen with the unapproachable goddess of the academy triggered everyone's inner ability to revert their nature to their primal state. Perhaps it was because he wasn't in his true form, hiding behind his (nearly) indestructible armor was he so intimidated by them?

While he was shivering and trying his best to make himself as small of a target as possible, Rias seemed to either pay them no mind or was ignorant of their intentions. Hopefully it was the former.

When they reached their shoe lockers, Rias turned towards him and said, "I'll send someone to get you after class. See you later, Ise-kun."

"Wait, what?" Issei asked as he was fixing his shoes. But Rias more than likely didn't hear him or didn't intend to stick around regardless. She was already walking away.

Sighing and doing his best to ignore the evil glares directing towards him (and failing), Issei figured he might as well get today over with and head to his classroom. He didn't intend on attending today, but with his body rejuvenated of stamina thanks to Rias he figured he might as well go. Thankfully, Rias didn't ask any further questions about his background other than his current living arrangement. He didn't expect her to be understanding. She was surprisingly such a nice person once you get to know her.

But first, he had something important to take care of.

However, this task was interrupted as something crashed into his left temple.

"Ise you bastard!"

"We demand an explanation."

Matsuda and Motohama had appeared, the former delivering a superhuman blow powered by his passion of sexual envy while the latter looked calm yet had a predatory glare behind his glasses. Issei, having being surrounded by harmful intentions, could not detect their approach as they too had blended in with the school body to the finest detail. The punch Matsuda gave was strong enough to bypass his draconian skin and send his head crashing into the wall. A _human _had done this, one below-average of the mundane populace at that.

Such is the power of a pervert.

"What happened to you after we split up? To appear the next day with _the _Rias Gremory…" Motohama shifted his glasses; the glare shifting enough for Issei to see a peak of his bloodthirsty eyes.

"We were the 'Unpopular Alliance' comrades!" Matsuda cried, shedding actual tears of betrayal.

However, Issei recovered himself and wiped the blood off his brow. A large grin plastered across his face as though he had achieved a victory over the both of them. To a certain perspective, he had.

"Guys, have you seen real tits before?"

Getting in touch with Shitori-sempai will have to wait. He had bragging rights to exploit!

*Scene*

Issei hated chess. _Hated _it with a passion. He liked playing games so that wasn't the problem. He can't even say he hated the game itself. Rather, he hated the whole process of playing. Issei never was a schemer. He was the sort to charge in head-first with his ridiculous power. Rolan-sempai did say that any problem can be solved with violence; and if it didn't work, then one wasn't using enough. To this day, Issei never had a problem solving any of his problems with his fists.

That is… until he met Sona Shitori, the current student council president.

It all began back when he was a first-year. Due to the responsibilities he had placed on himself, Issei's attendance record had a few holes here and there. Though most teachers didn't mind since he gave a decent excuse and still did an average job on his homework and tests. However, questions were raised when Issei would return the following day covered in bandages. What first started off as a few cuts here and there which could be found doing household tasks from one living by himself, Issei soon came back to school with bruises, burns, broken bones… and sometimes he didn't return for extended periods.

Naturally at this point the teachers were concerned and sought to find the reasons behind his mishaps. At least they did until they got to know the boy a little better and dug up his old files from middle school. He as well as his two friends were renowned as the Perverted Trio. Upon inquiring information from his friends as well as some of the girls who had known the three, the teachers had come to a conclusion that Issei had gotten himself in trouble and his victims tended to go overboard on their retribution.

Sona was different. The once vice-president at the time could recognize the quality of wounds Issei bore. That, and there was also the fact she was much more perceptive than the average Devil. The wounds were merely a means to get her attention. And once it was captured, she was able to see little things about the Hyoudou boy that shouldn't be found on a normal teenage boy. The way he stood, the way he was always conscious of his surroundings, the way he walked, the way he kept his hands at ready— everything. Although, for the life of her, she wasn't sure whether his perverted nature was just a façade or not. It would have been a marvelous mask if so.

Unfortunately, Issei really was as perverted as he acted.

There was also the amount of interest her dear friend, Rias Gremory, took upon the human boy. Sona had been able to start to sense the amount of 'potential' dwelling within the boy. She wasn't sure whether it was a Sacred Gear ready to awaken or if the boy was one of those ever so rare Magicians born within a mundane family. Regardless, because Rias had her eyes on Issei, Sona suddenly had the craving to place him into her peerage.

It was the main reason why she approached him one day and demanded answers from him. She claimed it was her sworn duty as vice-president to concern herself with the wellbeing of students she thought might be getting into trouble. He was just as sharp as she had expected and knew right off the bat she wasn't being completely honest, though he did well to keep his thoughts from being expressed through his tone and gestures.

It ended up with her paying him a home visit. Since he had refused to share his secrets, she decided to put him into a corner. Once being permitted inside (ignoring the _stupid _grin on his face as well as some drooling), Sona used her position as vice-president to demand he tell her the truth or she will be forced to take it up with the director of the academy. If he really was involved in hooligan affairs or sexually assaulting women then she would have no choice but to report him— at least that was the reasons she gave him.

Backing him into a corner was a mistake. She received what she desired: answers. However, never before did she feel so _threatened. _She learned everything. What happened to his parents, his condition, and what he does on a regular basis when alone. All he did was tell her.

Yet, by looking at those eyes as he told her everything, she knew the roles had been reversed. What was a King looking for a new piece to add to her peerage ended up becoming a damsel imprisoned by a fearsome dragon, both figuratively and literally. His tone might have been light, if not serious, but it sang with _power _enough to make her elder sister look like a _child!_

It was as if his presence itself was enforced by all the powers of the world…

What did it mean to be Eighth Predator…?

Issei was a good child with a warm heart, he never asked anything from Sona on that day other than to keep his secret to herself. What he didn't know, through his naivety, was that it wasn't so much as a promise as it was an _order._

Because Sona feared for her life what would happen should she ever betray him. The thought of reporting him to one of the four Satans, particularly to her sister the current Leviathan, came up once. But then, what would they do about it? Would they feel so threatened as to try to capture him? And if so, what would happen should he fight back?

However, the news of the Red Dragon Emperor arriving in the human world had already been surfaced in the Underworld. It would only be a matter of time before someone figured out Hyoudou Issei was the current wielder of the Boosted Gear.

Of course, Issei never learned of her intentions and never learned she was a Devil. He honestly did think she was a concerned (if not nosy) student council officer. Regardless, she always went out of her way to cover for him whenever he missed classes. On rare occasions she even tutored him; though it wasn't like he could ever focus with the third most popular girl in all Kuoh Academy alone with him.

And ever since Rolan-sempai started to send his leftover jobs and emergencies his way, Issei had asked Sona to teach him how to write and submit reports. He never was good at that kind of thing. Sona was hesitant at first and told him he shouldn't be saving people for compensation, but when he argued he would have done it regardless if there was money or not she relented. Rather than teaching him, she agreed to do it herself under a few conditions.

First, he was to never hide any information that would come up. Second, he was to come directly to her after every instance he had 'gone out' and would have been satisfied with receiving a phone call or email should either of them be immediately unavailable. And third, he would play chess with her at every chance he could.

…Which led to now. Issei grunted for the umpteenth time as he sat alone with Sona in the student council room. The red and black pieces were arranged in the red's favor— the president's favor. Issei was losing horrendously. Though over the course of a year and a half he had made _some _progress. Sona didn't beat him under three moves like the first time. Today, she could beat him in six.

The point was for Issei to learn to use his brains rather than his fists… which was a really long and strenuous lesson for the both of them. Issei wasn't stupid, but he did lack most forms of common sense as well as strategic tact. Plus he was rather impatient. Still, he had learned how to be on the defensive, how to read moves, and how to control his frustration to think clearly. It's what helped him thus far return with fewer wounds.

It still didn't help that Sona was _leagues _more intelligent than him.

"Checkmate," Sona announced without having to look up from her laptop. Sona was one of those rare individuals who could type with one hand. She didn't break her flow even as she removed one hand to move her bishop across the field, effectively cornering his king. She didn't even have to look at the board! She knew where every piece was in the map in her head!

Issei slammed his head against the table. Though he had come a long way in tempering his frustrations, losing nine times in one sitting will always be demoralizing.

"Is there anything else you need to share, Ise-san?"

Their relationship was a peculiar one. While Issei would… assume they were friends, Sona always kept him at a distance as though she couldn't like him. Like she was tolerating his existence and just helping him out because it was her duty as the student council president. Well, it was to be expected. He chose the life of a pervert, after all.

The truth was, to this day, Sona _Sitri, _a High-Class Devil, was terrified of the existence that was Hyoudou Issei. She was always respectful towards him, always minded his feelings, and _always _made sure to never anger him. She knew Issei was a good person, but it didn't stop her instincts from screaming at her to live under any circumstance. If one were to find their selves locked in a cage with a sleeping lion, imagine what that individual would do in order to survive.

So long as this _dragon _wasn't hungry, she could be friends with it.

And imagine; there were _seven _more monstrosities out there in the world.

Over the course of the year, they had grown fairly close enough to break through at least some of the stuffy honorifics. He was fine with being called 'Ise', which only his closest friends called him. But at the same time he wasn't comfortable with calling her by her first name because he had such high respect for her and said she was his senior.

The boy never realized the roles were quite reverse. Sona had once figured that if he were a Devil, he would automatically be an Ultimate Class should his secret be revealed. He'd be elevated to the highest pinnacle by _default! _He wouldn't need finances, some grand deed of military grandeur, or recognition from the Rating Games. Although, the former two wouldn't be a problem for someone like him even if he had to start from the bottom.

Unfortunately for her, Sona had yet to learn of Issei's involvement with Rias Gremory.

Issei lifted his head. "Hmm… No, I think that's everything. You can send it now."

Sona nodded and did as was instructed. She shut her laptop, pushed it aside, and went back to finishing her tea.

"Thank you for everything Shitori-sempai," Issei scratched the back of his head like the goofball that he was. "I can write essays and turn in reports from school just fine, but official documents like that? I really don't want Rolan-san to get mad at me if I do it wrong."

She shook her head, "It's no trouble at all. As I've told you before, I find your actions admirable. Foolish and naïve, but admirable."

Issei tried to not flinch, but to no avail.

"Ise-san, are you absolutely sure those were the things you fought against?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," though he had said those words, Issei had to look up out of habit when he thought. "I mean, who could ever mistake Fujin, Kazejin, and Suijin? I think that's why Rolan-san sent me the message. He hates anything that comes from Japan and would more than likely have let people die instead of stopping them."

Sona fixed the position of her glasses. "Are you quite sure it was them though? Have you faced gods before?"

Issei crossed his arms as he thought a little more seriously. "No, I can't say that I have. I've fought a lot of monsters though. I wouldn't call them gods, but I have also fought against spirits that manifest as natural disasters. But actual mythological beings? No."

He thought about telling her about the Fallen Angel incident. But Sona didn't need to know about that. He's already troubled her enough today.

Sona studied him for a bit. Her sharp eyes trying to make a reading of his thoughts based on his facial features. However, she quickly realized his mind had wandered elsewhere. She learned from experience once Issei had lost focus _anything _can enter his mind. It was best to not try and figure out what he was thinking about.

"I see," she concluded. "You may go now. I still have my own business to take care of before lunch ends."

Issei stood and gave a small bow. "Thank you again Shitori-sempai. I'd be lost without you. Have a good day."

Before he left, she called out to him. "Oh yes. One more thing. Hyoudou-san, for what reason did you arrive with Rias this morning?"

If only Issei was just one second ahead. His hand was on the handle of the door and even turned. If he was only one second faster he could have opened it and then used it as a means to escape. She had called him by his family name, which meant serious business. She only did that when she was either A: upset, or B: disappointed. Her voice was definitely tense. There was a rumor that Rias and Sona were very close friends. It would only be natural for one friend to be concerned for the other should said friend be together with a super pervert like him.

He was beginning to sweat. Sona was _extremely _sharp. She would be able to tell if he was lying. But there was no way in hell he could tell her about Rias visiting him this morning. Naked at that! She would ask questions on why Rias would have to arrive and then he would have to tell her about being a Devil.

Ah ha! He got it!

"Oh, I've recently joined the Occult Research Club… Ha… ha ha…" he gave a shaky laugh in high hopes she would accept it. It wasn't a lie at all, but it wasn't the truth at the same time.

Since he couldn't look at her in fear she would see through his deception, he had failed to miss her eyes widening and face paling. However, she expertly concealed her shock.

"I see. Thank you, Ise-san. Have a good day as well."

*Scene*

Rias had skipped her last period in order to properly prepare herself for the arrival of her newest Pawn. As usual, the Occult Research Club located at the old school building was dimly lit with only candles aflame. For the heightened vision of Devil-kind, this was the most comfortable setting. She also had the whole room to herself at the moment. Akeno would arrive in a few minutes and the rest of her peerage would come after school. It was the perfect moment to get out of her clothes and take a relaxing shower.

By the time she had finished, her Queen was there to hand her a towel with the same mirthful smirk across her face.

"So how is our newest member?" Himejima Akeno placed a warm cup of tea as was prepared to the liking of her King, once said King was dried and fully clothed.

Rias took a seat at her desk and gave a heavy sigh. "I'm not too sure what to make of him. As a human he was able to take on those Fallen Angels and it looked like he was about to win if he wasn't stabbed from behind. And he keeps disappearing when I tried to get close to him. The first attempt he wasn't home at all and the second attempt he took off after receiving some email. But here's the thing; I sensed he came home, lost his signature, and then it reappeared hours before dawn. Whatever he was doing tired him out."

Akeno gave a small chuckle, "Oh, I could tell there is something more to him than meets the eye. Just look at the wards placed around his house. Those were the workings of a competent Magician. But it confuses me because they were built as though they never thought of a Devil examining them… And it was so intricate too. What a shame."

Rias leaned forward with her elbows propped against her desk. "He's already said two remarkable things to me. First, 'We all have our responsibilities'. And second, 'Everyone has their secrets'. What do you think it means, Akeno?"

The Queen tilted her head and tapped a slender finger against her chin in thought. "It sounds like someone who has a heavy burden on them. It makes sense seeing as it took all eight of your Pawn pieces to revive him. You don't think he's affiliated with the Magician Faction, do you?"

Rias shook her head, "As you said, the barrier was built as though the Magician who made it had never heard of the existence of Devils. Issei could have taught himself hedge magic. It could explain how he was able to take on those Fallen Angels… But…"

"But he doesn't produce a strong enough energy signature to be anything but a normal human," concluded Akeno.

The King nodded. "Though the output is low to that of a normal human, it is also different in texture. I'm not sure what to make of it. Plus… during the treatment I gave him… there was something on his back…"

Rias narrowed her eyes. Those tattoos were too defined in their geometric patterns to be done by normal means. And normal tattoos don't _breathe _like that. It was more like a symbiotic organism than a pair of florescent inked wings.

"Do you think that, maybe, he's awakened his Sacred Gear?" asked Akeno.

"…It is possible. It could be like Yuuto's where it doesn't need an instrument to activate. But even Yuuto's Sword Birth manifests as something. I've never heard of a Sacred Gear without an actual form."

Rias paused for a moment as she recalled something else. "Akeno, he said he would forever serve me. But he also said it would be determined if I am worthy of being his King. And if not, then it would be difficult for me to control him."

"Hmm…" the vice-president of the fake club thought to herself. "Does this worry you, Buchou?"

"Of course it does," Rias gave a heavy sigh. "He told me right away he didn't trust me. I'm worried he won't be able to."

"Ara ara~ You worry too much. The Gremory family is known for treating their peerage different than other Devils. If you give him space and open yourself up to him like you have for any of us, I'm sure he will do the same. For now let's—"

There was a knock on the door.

The two looked at another before Rias straightened herself. "Enter."

She had been expecting one of her subordinates as it was around the time they would start to arrive, however she was taken by surprise when her childhood friend entered instead.

"Sona," Rias blinked. "What can I do for you?"

The Sitri Devil fixed her glasses as her face spoke of all business. "Rias, I need to know something. What is your affiliation to Hyoudou Issei?"

Again, Rias blinked. "Issei? I could have sworn we had talked about this a while back. Well, due to recent events, I had to make a move sooner than expected. Issei is now a member of my peerage as my Pawn."

Her brows came together in confusion when she saw her friend blanch. Not only that, but her eyes had widened and her composure threatened to break.

Akeno tilted her head in curiosity. She recognized the look as one who had lost hope. But she would say nothing as it wasn't her place.

"Sona, what's wrong?" Rias was beginning to worry about her friend's abnormal behavior. Sona Sitri was always calm and collective. You'd sooner see the crimson moon than see Sona behave… well, the way she was right now. She didn't even act this way whenever news of Leviathan paying a visit.

"I can't believe you went along with it. Rias…" the Sitri heiress began slowly and in a low tone, "do you know anything about Hyoudou-san?"

"Sona…" the Gremory heiress replied in the same tone, "do _you_?"

"…He and I have a something of an understanding at the moment. There is not much I can share with you, even in the name of our friendship," Sona explained after a bit of silence. "So I'll ask again: do you know anything about him?"

Rias frowned as her eyes narrowed. "Sona… is Issei blackmailing you with something?"

The school president fixed her glasses and gave a small sigh. "No, nothing of the sort."

"Then what is it?"

She paused for a while longer. Her eyes shut as she took in a brief breath of air. "It would seem you know nothing about him at all. Rias, you may have made a grave mistake. Hyoudou Issei is a force you will not be able to control."

Rias frowned further. The words Issei shared with her last night rang through her head. If he deemed her unworthy he so stated she will have difficulty controlling him. "You know what he is, don't you? Issei wasn't a normal human after all, was he?"

Rather than answering, Sona asked, "Exactly how many pieces did you use in reviving him? And why did you need to do so in the first place?"

"I'll answer that question if you tell me how you know about him? I'll not ask what he is; he can tell me that when he wants to. But I feel like I should know why you know so much about my newest Pawn when I don't."

"…I'm not asking for curiosity's sake, Rias. I'm asking because I'm worried for you. I'm trying to offer you a trade to escape from a potential catastrophe."

Both Rias and Akeno faltered. Akeno couldn't keep up the smile any longer and Rias couldn't keep up the friendly atmosphere.

"…Do you have any idea what you're trying to ask for?" Rias' tone was dangerous. "You're asking one King to hand over someone of their peerage without reason."

"I understand _exactly _what I am asking for," Sona didn't stand down. "It's because of what I know I am stepping over a few bounds. And if he hasn't told you already then I shouldn't. Just know this isn't something you will be able to contain."

"And you can?"

"Absolutely not," Sona shook her head. "However, I've had the misfortune of getting to know Issei for the year. I know all there is about him. I know how he thinks and what he reacts to. Does that mean I will be a better King than you? Not in the slightest. I know I will never be able to control him if he so decided to do something I didn't agree with. I mean no disrespect to you or how your rule your peerage, but I'm asking for the sake of avoiding anything disastrous. The best I would be able to do is to direct the carnage to keep damages to a minimum."

Rias was growing impatient. She tapped a finger on the desk. "Disaster? Like what? You're making it sound like he's a force of nature. Sure he could take on a few Fallen Angels, but I don't think he would have been defeated if he was what you're making him out to be."

Sona blinked. "What? What's this about Fallen—"

There was a knock on the door and seconds afterwards a pair of students entered. The first was Rias' Knight, the blonde haired Kiba Yuuto. The other following close behind was her newest Pawn, Hyoudou Issei.

"Buchou, I've brought…" Yuuto began but cut himself off after noticing the tension around the room. But he kept his charming smile and tried to ease things down in his particular manner. "Kaichou, it's good to see you. I didn't expect you to be here."

Sona didn't respond. Her eyes were locked on Issei.

The Pawn's attention was directed from examining the scenery of the room towards the student president at the mentioning of her presence. Their eyes locked for a moment. While she blanched and bit her lip to appear as stern as she normally would, he gave her a large smile.

"Oh hey there Shitori-sempai. What are you doing here?"

Rias' brow twitched at the familiarity he expressed. There really was something going on between the two of them that she didn't know about. Sona wasn't the sort to lie, but she didn't believe that little story about knowing him for a year. More curious now, Rias decided to let things play out. Issei called her by her alias, which meant he didn't know she was a Devil. How will Sona respond?

The Sitri heiress adjusted her glasses. "Hello there Ise-san. Kiba-san. I was just discussing with Rias about your sudden enrollment in this… club."

"Sona and I were discussing whether or not to transfer you over to her peerage," Rias spoke up. She wasn't in the mood to play this game with anyone.

Sona spun around, her eyes wide as though she had been betrayed.

"Peerage…?" Issei looked over to Rias in confusion. He blinked a few times as his mind started to process what she meant. When it was done, to say he was shocked would be an understatement. "Eh?! S-Shitori-sempai, you're a Devil too?!"

Yuuto looked over to Akeno and gave a silent question with his eyes. She replied with a shrug and a small smile.

Sona turned back around and addressed Issei with fortification, "That is correct. Here in the human world I am under an alias. However, I am Sona Sitri of the House of Sitri, a High-Class Devil and a King much like Rias. At the moment I am without any Pawns, thus was I discussing with Rias if she was willing to make a trade with me. I'm sorry for not informing you about this."

Rias stood up and circled around her desk. Though she leaned against it and appeared casual, she did tense at the feeling of… fear coming from her friend. There had to be a reason for Sona's behavior. And if it was enough for the Sitri heiress to constantly be on her toes at the moment, then Rias will do everything she can to protect her dear friend.

Akeno shifted her footing after noticing the composure of her King. Likewise, Yuuto's body tensed, though he was unsure what was going to happen.

Issei scratched his cheek. Whether he noticed his surroundings was up in the air. "Well… it's not like I had any reason to know. Nothing like this came up before. Besides, everyone has their secrets. But what's this about a trade?"

Sona shifted her glasses once more, using the gesture to hide her relief. "So you're not mad… No, of course you're not. I don't know why I was like this…"

"Shitori-sempai…?" Issei spoke up as he couldn't hear what she was saying. "Or do I call you Sitri-sempai from now on?"

Gradually, the others relaxed.

"Please continue to call me as you normally would," she replied clearly. "As for the trade, I am welcoming you into my peerage provided you and Rias both agree to it. I've no right to take a piece from another King. But if you so choose to remain with Rias, I can only ask that you _please _look before you leap."

Issei winced. He knew what she was referring to. "Yes Shitori-sempai. I owe Buchou my life so I'll be staying in her company. Thank you for the offer though. I know for sure I would have respected you as my Master if things were different."

Rias tried to not scowl. But on the other hand there was hope for her yet. Issei seemed to be a good guy. If someone as strict and stern as _Sona _could get his respect then surely someone as loving as her could earn it as well.

…Right?

"I believe I've… humiliated myself enough," Sona said. "Rias, I'm sorry for causing a scene and hope this can be forgotten. Ise-san, I do hope you won't cause my friend any trouble. And please continue to see me when you are having problems. My doors are still open to you. Good day, everyone."

With that, Sona left the Occult Research Club.

*Scene*

"Yuuto, have you seen Koneko?" Rias asked once things had settled down. Everyone took a seat while Akeno began serving tea. "She was supposed to be here by now."

Yuuto wanted to ask what the whole fiasco was about just now but decided it would be better to save it for later. He gave the best smile he could despite the lone drop of sweat starting to form at his brow. "Y-Yeah… About that. We managed to run into her on our way over here."

Rias cocked a brow, gesturing for him to continue. When he didn't, she looked over towards Issei, who in return hung his head in despair.

"Well…" Yuuto scratched his left cheek as he was trying to find the right words. "I don't know how to put this… But when we ran into her and I introduced Hyoudou-kun to her… She…"

Akeno cackled, "Buchou~ I think you'll find out if you look outside the window."

The Gremory heiress didn't quite understand how looking out the window will provide her any answers. But she trusted her Queen and so did as was suggested. And it was a good thing she didn't bring her tea along with her, else a sudden spit-take would have stained the glass. Instead she choked on her spit.

Koneko, her Rook, was stuck in a tree. She was sitting on one of the thickest branches with her knees tucked close to her body. Her eyes were glaring all manner of hatred through the old school building. And once Rias traced what she was looking at, her eyes would have met Issei. But it was impossible seeing as how the wall blocked off all vision and the angle of the tree branch's position was too low for her to look through the window. How Koneko knew where Issei was sitting was beyond her.

"What did you do to her?" Rias sighed.

"I didn't do anything!" cried Issei. He bowed his head and began fiddling with his fingers. "All I did was say hi to my kohai when she just hissed at me and climbed that tree. She called me a bunch of names and told me to stay away from her or else I'd regret the day I was born…"

By this point, Issei slid off the couch and began making drawings on the carpet with his finger.

Rias didn't know what to make of this. She knew Issei was something special, but she didn't realize how much trouble he would be bringing along with him. First Sona and now Koneko? What's next?

"I've never seen Koneko act that way," Yuuto stated. "Come to think about it, I'd have to say this is the most we've seen her do. Well Hyoudou-kun, I'd heard a lot from your reputation, but I think it precedes you."

This made Issei even more depressed.

Rias clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Well Koneko aside, I believe everyone is accounted for. So, Ise-kun, we, the Occult Research Club, welcome you." She smirked before finishing with, "…as Devils."

Issei's attention snapped into focus once the flutter of wings was heard. He looked around. Rias had her gothic wings exposed just as well as Akeno's and Yuuto's. That same feeling as before swelled within Issei with his wings wanting to burst free. However, he suppressed it. There just wasn't enough space for them to be exposed without something breaking from where he was sitting.

"Now why don't we all take a seat? I'm sure you have plenty of questions," the red-haired Devil waved a hand towards the sofas.

Issei and Yuuto sat together on one while Rias took the opposing one. Akeno introduced herself to Issei while she refilled everyone's cup. When done, she took her seat beside the Gremory heiress.

"That man you met last night was a Fallen Angel," Rias began.

Issei nodded. "Yeah, I managed to convince him to share a bit of information with me. To be honest, I'm having a difficult time believing any of this. Sure I've heard of Angels and Devils before in biblical lore, but I've never expected to run into actual ones."

Rias shook her head. "Understand that wasn't an Angel, but a _Fallen _Angel. There is a distinction. They are the former Angels who served God, but they were beings who have fallen to Hell because they had evil intentions. They are also the enemy of us Devils."

She took a sip of her tea to let the information soak into his head. He took the moment as well to take a drink, but his eyes shone with anticipation and curiosity. He was absorbed in this and was craving information.

"We, the Devils, have been at war with the Fallen Angels since ancient times," she went on. "We have been fighting over the possession of the Underworld, which is also known as Hell in the human world. The Underworld is split into two areas, one for Devils and one for Fallen Angels. The Devils form pacts with humans and receive their sacrifices and increase their strength. The Fallen Angels on the other hand control humans to eliminate Devils. At this point the Angels come in to destroy these two races on God's orders, which create the three forces. This has been going on since before anyone can remember."

"That man, Dohnaseek, said this was your territory," Issei mentioned, his eyes sharp as his perverted persona faded away. "If the Fallen Angels are your enemy and are trespassing on your land, shouldn't it be within your rights to expel them?"

Rias gave a pleasant smile, finding his logic keen. "There is something of an armistice between the three factions. Granted small skirmishes do happen here and there between the groups, anything that might get out of hand has the strong potential of triggering another war. So long as the Fallen Angels aren't causing trouble, even if they are _lingering _within my territory, I can't just kick them out."

"Even when they tried to kill me?" his eyes narrowed.

She sighed. "This is where it gets… complicated. Last night I was forced to accept that man's so-called _apology _because I can't afford any retribution from the Fallen Angel faction. However, in regards to before… I'm sorry but I can't seek out justice if a human was involved. Humans are considered the additional party and if they are not in affiliation to any of the other group then we have no right to interfere whatsoever. Just as we Devils must take care of our own affairs, so too must the humans. So long as the secret of our existence isn't released to the populace, there's nothing I can really do about it."

"…And this doesn't change now that I am a Devil?"

"It only means that they can't come after you without a reasonable cause," she shrugged and then crossed her legs. She didn't even care Issei had scored a panty shot. Despite how serious he was, he was a pervert first and foremost. "As you are now a member of my peerage, you are under my protection as a Pawn of the Gremory Heiress. However they may try again if they went as far as to disguise themselves as a human to get close to you."

Issei frowned; he recalled the date he had with _Amano Yuuma._

"They said I have something called… a Sacred Gear," he scratched his head as he tried to remember what it was called. The memory was still a little fuzzy but he could recall all of it… it just hurt a bit to attempt. "What is that exactly?"

Yuuto was the one to answer this time, "Sacred Gear is an irregular power that is bestowed to certain humans. Most of the people whose names are recorded in history are said to be possessors of a Sacred Gear. They used the power of their Sacred Gear to record their name in history."

"Presently," Akeno spoke up as well, "there are people who possess Sacred Gears within their bodies. You know those people who play an important role worldwide? Most of those people possess a Sacred Gear."

"…But _what _exactly is a Sacred Gear?" Issei repeated the question with a bit more clarity in his tone.

"I think it would be best to show you," Rias finished her tea before standing up. "Ise, I want you to close your eyes."

He gave her a dumbfounded look. She swore she could see the question marks float around his head.

"…Just do it."

He shrugged but obeyed.

"Good, now I want you to look deep into yourself and channel all of your energy throughout your being. Start with the heart and let it flow everywhere else."

Akeno tilted her head and asked, "Buchou, don't you think this is a little advanced for him? We're not even sure if he knows how to channel his Devil energy."

Rias replied proudly, "Perhaps not, but it looks like he knows what he's doing."

True to her words, Issei's concentration was absolute. He looked to be at peace with himself.

"Now I want you to shape that energy into the strongest substance you can imagine. It could be a sword, a shield, a piece of armor or equipment— anything. Focus all of it into one mass and channel it wherever you believe is most fitting."

His eyes snapped open immediately. For a second, she could have sworn she saw his eyes glow green. But when she blinked they were his usual shade of brown. "So it's called a Sacred Gear… I always wondered what it was…"

"Issei-kun," Yuuto inquired, "do you mean you can already activate your Sacred Gear?"

The Pawn rubbed his left wrist. "I suppose you could say that."

Akeno's smile grew a tiny fraction more.

Rias was rather excited. "This is good! Issei, what can your Sacred Gear do?"

"…Fukushachou," he instead addressed Akeno, "you said Sacred Gears are found throughout the world in humans. Is it common for any of the factions to attack them?"

Akeno gave a light chime of laughter, "Ara ara, please just call me Akeno-oneesama. And I can't say for certain. But in special cases, like yours, it is possible for one group to attack if they deem the possessor a big enough threat."

Issei sweatdropped, "Erm… I'd rather not. You're my senior after all."

"Fufufu. Then I'll settle for Himejima-oneesama."

Issei didn't respond to that. He went back to Rias instead. "Buchou, exactly how did you come about finding me and resurrecting me?"

Though he was being polite and kept a warm smile up, Rias could hear the hint of suspicion in his words. He didn't trust her. She supposed it was understandable, given the circumstances.

She shrugged to herself and decided to answer honestly. "I've been keeping an eye on your for quite some time. There are a few humans attending this school who have the potential of wielding Sacred Gears. I'm not too sure which ones do and don't. However, it was undeniable with you and so I thought about recruiting you to my peerage. Unfortunately I never succeeded in finding the right moment to talk to you and explain what I just told you. But who would have believed we were Devils ruling the school and going against Fallen Angels? After all, you were just a normal high school student."

Her eyes narrowed slightly; not in suspicion, but in curiosity, "…Or at least I _thought _you were. You did very well in fooling everyone. I'd have to say you're nothing short of a genius to have come up with a façade of debauchery. Not to mention humble and shameless to be the bane of women everywhere for so long. These are the things I admire about you. No one pays a second glance at a pervert after all. This morning you could have taken full advantage of our situation but instead you were concerned for my modesty."

"R-Right…" Issei had to look away from his King as he nonchalantly sipped his tea. "Façade…"

Yuuto raised a hand as though still attending a class, "Buchou? What do you mean? Sorry but I'm a little out of the loop."

Rias smiled proudly as though it was her who achieved something so great. "Ise was able to hold his own against a Fallen Angel. By the looks of things, he was winning. Unfortunately, he went down due to a cheap shot from behind. If Akeno and I hadn't sensed the Fallen Angels' energies, Ise would have been long dead."

"And Hyoudou-kun did this as a human?" Yuuto asked for reassurance. His eyes went over towards the subject of the matter.

Having been the center of everyone's ire due to his choices in life, Issei had no idea how to react towards admiration and praise. He shuffled in his seat and continued to use the teacup as a means to draw out time… even when it had been empty for some time. Akeno had seen this and refilled his cup a few times.

After a while he cleared his throat. "Regardless, they attacked me because of my Sacred Gear even if I had nothing to do with them." He leaned back as he looked across the room, staring into open space. His mind was full of thoughts Rias couldn't theorize of what. "Whatever the reason, it was more than enough to scare them into acting so desperately. Buchou, how long have you been keeping an eye on me?"

Rias sipped her tea before answering, "About a little more than a year. Ever since you entered Kuoh Academy I would have to say."

"So around the time Shitori-sempai…" whatever he was about to say was drawled off in his thoughts.

"Speaking of which," she crossed her legs again. "What is your relationship with Sona? She was very… concerned about you before you entered."

"Oh… uh…" Issei put his cup down and scratched his cheek. He made noises of thought to gain as much time as possible to find a suitable answer. He didn't try to hide the epiphany as he snapped his fingers when finding an appropriate response. "Shitori-sempai helps me out with class assignments and sometimes tutors me. Yeah that's it."

The room was silent. No one believed his excuse but no one was going to call him out on it.

"I think it is starting to turn into more of an interrogation than an introduction," Rias sighed and waved her hand in dismissal. "I apologize for that, Ise-kun. Well, I think that'll be all for today. Why don't you head home and let the information soak in? Tomorrow we can get started on your duties as a Devil."

Issei grimaced, "You're not going to have me dealing in the trade of souls, are you?"

Rias gave a light laugh, "No, no, we no longer deal in acquiring souls from humans. Although there are some groups that do, likely the oldest of clans, I assure you we, the Occult Research Club, do not partake in any of that. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. For now, have a good night Ise. I hope you're a bit more rested by tomorrow."

"Ah, that's good," Issei gave a sigh of relief. He then stood and bowed, "Thank you for your hospitality, Buchou. And thank you for the tea Himejima-sempai—"

"_Onee-sama,_" Akeno corrected.

Issei just did his best to keep the smile. He then gave the same departing gesture towards Yuuto and excused himself from the room.

Akeno laughed into her hand, "My, oh my, he seems to be quite the character."

Rias nodded in agreement.

"Um… Buchou?" Yuuto raised his hand once more. "Are we going to do anything about Koneko-chan?"

It wasn't like Rias had forgotten about her Rook. It was more like she didn't know how to get a startled cat out of a tree. She wasn't going to like having to deal with Koneko's claws.


	3. Someone to Love

**A note from the author!**

Thank you everyone who has taken such an interest in this story. I'm not going to lie, this story has the least amount of seriousness in it compared to the amount I put in my other stories. However, for what reason even I can't understand, this one has more of my interest than the others COMBINED. I don't know why.

So a few things to note. I apologize for not getting the information on how his Boosted Gear works accurately. I was given the impression it adds his base power over and over, but I was proven wrong and given information that it multiplies his collective potential with each boost. So rather than adding, say 10+10 over and over, it's 10+10+100+1000, and so on. It makes me realize that this power is overly BULLSHIT, but then again as Issei is a Predator it makes sense that it should be ridiculous.

In regards to the Predators... In a manner of speaking, they are more powerful than the Maous. Although it's debatable if they can stand up against Super Devils, seeing as their 'true forms' exist beyond the conceptions and logic placed on the world. Therefore, as Predators are recognized as the world's strongest, a Super Devil MIGHT be more powerful as they are not bound by the foundations of the world. Still, I have the discussion open for anyone as well as presenting it to those who work with me on my stories.

In regards to Ludwig von Siegfried, Second Predator, I've no idea what I'm to do with him. He's more than likely NOT to make an appearance, much like any other Predator. I understand there is a Siegfried in canon to this story, who is a descendant to the actual hero. So is mine, as he comes from the Siegfried clan. So I'll more than likely keep mine only in mention. Also, his Gram and Balmung aren't Sacred Gears but are more ACTUAL weapons he designed himself that surpass the originals. This is because of his Gift of Craft- something of the same origins as Issei's Gift of Flight in this story.

Last, I've already broken my rule about OCs. Though this one only appears in this chapter and that'll be it. But I feel I've overstepped my bounds and let her dictate how the story will progress a little too much. I await everyone's response. I also ask if anyone is okay if I introduce at least ONE of the Predators in the future. I wanted this to be a strictly DxD Character-only story, but am greatly tempted to see what would happen should one of them show up in Japan.

DragonXDelinquent, I know you and I are having a conversation on the moment. I apologize for not responding and will be getting to that when I can.

Thank you everyone for your time and I'm sorry if I'm not responding to any other PMs or reviews. My time is taken by work and other projects. Plus I was without internet for a few days.

Enjoy!

* * *

Nakashima Ayame was a little girl no older than twelve. She was rather tall for her age and was often mistaken for a _petanko _high schooler, especially with the bored yet sharp look in her eyes. She lived by herself in a moderately sized house once belonging to her parents and was now under the ownership of her aunt until she became of legal age. Day in and out, she would go to the grocer and purchase her dinner, always taking as much time as possible in the check-out to enjoy the conversation with the teenage boy she secretly had a crush on. At her free time, after she had meticulously cleaned every square inch of the house from her boredom, she would wander around the park in search of someone to play with. There were times when she could play with younger children, but most children her age were in school and she was left to play by herself most of the time. And the parents mistook her as some cradle robber and usually pulled their young children away from her.

Her aunt rarely showed up, perhaps checking in on her once every week for only a few hours. Sometimes Ayame could convince her to stay for dinner, yet they would always eat in silence. Her aunt never liked her because of some falling out between her and Ayame's mother. Something about her mother stealing her aunt's boyfriend and Ayame being the result of that affair.

No one would pay for her to attend school. Rather, her aunt went out of her way to make sure she wouldn't be going to school. Many times Ayame tried to retrieve help from the government to allow her free tuition into _any _school, but her aunt had been against it and resulted in harsh punishments. However, in order to avoid any legal issues, her aunt made her continue her education by filling out and submitting online essays and exams.

Ayame thought many times about running away or reporting her aunt. She may have been young, but she wasn't stupid and knew well her aunt was misguiding her. However, she also thought about what would happen. She would more than likely be taken away to some foster home or orphanage since she had no other relatives to turn to. Ayame didn't want that. She wanted to stay in the home she was born in.

But she so desperately wanted someone to talk to. She wanted a friend.

Her mother had taught her to pray. For the past three years, Ayame had learned to talk to God, to act like He was beside her. She made a game of it and tried to think of what he looked like, what he dressed in, how he talked, how he would behave around her, and so on. But it was no different from an imaginary friend. No matter how long or how many times she talked to God, He never responded. And for three years her prayers for wanting a friend were ignored.

Well then, fuck it. If God wouldn't listen, then she might as well try her luck with Lucifer.

As one who had _a lot _of free time, she spent a few weeks searching online for authentic rituals and hexes for getting an audience with the devil. Right off the bat she knew more than 99% of them were just complete bullshit. But there was the 1% that caught her attention. It was on a blog from a local teenage girl who claimed it worked in summoning the 'High School Prince' as a Devil. Normally she would have ignored the claim and moved on to the next resource if not for two things.

First, the following day Ayame couldn't find the blog post no matter what she tried or how much she hacked into the system to retrieve the data. It was like it hadn't existed in the first place— a feat only a superb hacker could perform, but then raised the question why someone of that caliber would do it in the first place.

The second was the intricacy of the magic sigil on the attached photo. It was the stereotypical magic circle most cults used. However, her eyes acknowledged the geometric pattern which was based off of the Spiral Theory. Shapes and lines overlapping another that looked like nonsense but to the mathematical mind was nothing short of genius. What appeared to be hoopla that was supposed to look fancy was, in fact, something far too abstract and complicated for some archaic nutjob to figure out on his own. This was something that would take _months _to draw out.

It was a good thing she printed it out the day she found it.

Now, she didn't know what she needed for a satanic ritual. Her information was still fresh and her investigation threw her all over the place. Some said to use black candles, others white, and there was also the question on which fragrances to 'purify' yourself in. Then what to wear, what time of day to perform the ritual, what materials you use to draw the circle, whether one was a virgin or not… so on and so forth.

She thought about using her aunt as a sacrifice. But then it'll become a problem if that annoying social worker showed up without her aunt being around. People would start looking into her sudden disappearance, especially at her job at the health clinic. Clean up wouldn't have been a problem. She had plenty of time to take care of that.

In the end, she found and bought a few chickens, drained them of their blood, and filled it in a spray can. She enlarged the print out and cut out a four-piece stencil, taped everything down to the center of the living room, and then sprayed the summoning circle directly onto the wooden floor.

She decided a plain white blouse would be acceptable for the ritual, lit a few white candles in five corners representing the pentagram, and gave a prayer to the circle.

Naturally it didn't work. Of course it wouldn't. If God didn't answer then why would Lucifer? Either she wasn't destined to have a friend… or she didn't do something right. Not really having anything better to do, she pulled her laptop and looked up alternative means to summon the devil.

An hour or so after her search, the doorbell rang. It was such a strange and foreign sound to her. No one rings the doorbell. The social worker only calls at this point and her aunt just barges in with her spare key. Why, she couldn't recall a time when someone rang the doorbell, even when her parents were alive.

She was conflicted between answering for the sake of a conversation or ignoring it for her health. It was late at night and no good ever comes in the evening. She should just pretend she was asleep; eventually the person would leave.

Three minutes later the bell rang again. She ignored it. Five minutes after that, it rang again. _Clearly _this person couldn't take a hint and leave her alone. If they weren't going to leave then she might as well see what was so Goddamn important.

*Scene*

Issei was _pretty _sure he had the right address. It wouldn't be the first time he had gotten the location of the client wrong. But he learned from his mistakes (at the third attempt) and had written down the addresses this time. He checked his note; it was accurate. He sent a message to Rias for confirmation and she replied with the matching address.

After standing for almost fifteen minutes, he scratched his head and pondered on what to do. He did get a little lost on his way over here and took longer than usual. There was also the little break-in at the family-owned bakery he stopped halfway through here. Maybe he took too long and the client wasn't home?

His suspicions were put to rest at the sound of approaching footsteps followed by the clicking of locks. He stood up straight and tried to make himself as presentable as possible. He also braced himself for the worst.

…He's had nothing but questionable clients so far.

"…Yes?"

Oh how he wanted to fall on his knees right then and there and sing hymns to the gods of debauchery! They weren't fucking with him this time! And they rewarded his patience with a _kuudere petanko _instead of some overly muscled cross-dressing magical _man_!

Opening the door for him was a brown haired beauty with silver eyes with European features. She was close to his age, maybe a year younger than him, and almost as tall. She was dressed in a spaghetti strap white dress that fell to her knees; Issei's Level-87 x-ray eyes told him she wasn't wearing a bra. She stared at him with such expressionless eyes Issei could get lost in her gaze forever and ever.

However, if there's anything he's learned from his misadventures of being a pervert, Fate was a woman. As a pervert, he was the bane of every woman, and thus Fate's. Therefore, it wouldn't be uncommon for Fate to defy the laws she placed on the world itself just to make his life as miserable as possible. This girl could just be answering the door for some darker monstrosity inside.

Issei didn't want to think what could have been worse than his most recent client.

"Um… hi?" he nervously started out with.

She stared at him with those piercing eyes. The hell with Akeno's sexual harassment with the way she undressed him, this girl was digging in _deeper. _"…Hi."

"…Would there by chance be anyone else home?"

Again, she stared at him. He was beginning to grow uncomfortable. "…If you're asking if I'm home alone, I'm not. Can I help you with something? I'm expecting someone soon."

Issei perked up at this. "Oh. Were you the one by chance who called me?"

Her brow arched. Not in surprise, but as a gesture as to show she was openly questioning his intelligence. He knew he wasn't the brightest student; he didn't need some stranger to remind him!

"…Are you trying to tell me you're the Devil?" Her brows came together in agitation and skepticism. She eyed him up and down, undressing him so masterfully it brought his Optic Undressing Skill to shame. "You're a disappointment. You're nothing like the 'High School Prince' the blog posted about."

A metaphorical arrow pierced Issei.

"T-That would be Kiba," Issei was able to brush it off a bit better this time. This wouldn't be the first someone tried to summon Yuuto and got him instead. As a new Devil, he had started off with getting everyone's extra summons. "But this would be the first time someone called me personally. So, here I am!"

Once again, Issei had his intelligence put into question with the look she was giving him.

"…What Devil rings the doorbell?" she dryly asked.

"Give me a break!" he half demanded and cried. "I've been a Devil for barely two weeks and still learning how things work! I've spent one handing out fliers every night and only recently got the okay to visit potential clients. For some reason I'm not compatible with the summoning circle… Buchou says I can't produce enough demonic energy to slip through…"

"…So you're a newb," she deadpanned. But then she opened the door a little wider. "Come in. I'll make us some tea."

"…Eh?" Issei blinked but was moving inside anyways. "Just like that? No asking for me to reveal my powers or anything like that?"

She shut the door and escorted him down the hallway towards the living room. "I knew what you were right away. I was only wondering _why _you were ringing the doorbell."

Issei nearly tripped. Buchou did tell him humans with strong enough greed could identify a Devil. The whole conversation could have been prevented. Instead she _chose _to insult him while rubbing salt in his still fresh wounds. What a cruel, cruel girl.

But at least she was cute. If she was cute then he didn't mind if she was a little mean. She did strike him as the type to completely walk all over him. And his recent escapades (read: beat-downs) with Koneko made him learn of the wonders of femdom. Granted it was the School Mascot just assaulting him for being within three meters near her. For some reason, it was far different from the normal beatings he received when he got caught peeping by the girls of the academy. If he played his cards right, maybe this girl will be a bit more… gentle.

Issei did, however, trip as soon as he saw the magic circle in the middle of the room. The blood was still a little wet and the smell was intoxicating his senses. "W-W-W-W-W-W-What the hell is this?!"

Over in the kitchen, which had a barstool window for anyone to peer in from the living room, the girl placed a kennel on the stove. She looked up in curiosity as though there was _nothing wrong _and wanted to know why he was freaking out. "The magic circle I found to summon you? Did I not perform the ritual right? Was I supposed to use human blood after all?"

This time, Issei was the one giving her the look of questioning her intelligence. But it had no effect on her as her returning gaze felt like a brick to the face. "Um… No. We don't use blood. In fact…"

He approached the bar and pulled out one of the leaflets from his pocket. It was one of the many fliers Rias made him hand out to the public and slip inside mail boxes for ten days straight. On the front was the magic circle for Rias Gremory's peerage. He handed it to her and explained while she looked it over, "You can just use that. There are instructions on the back as well as a survey."

She flipped it over and read said instructions. Her bored and dry expression changed suddenly to one of… disbelief and astonishment. Not good astonishment. It was another means for her to question the competence of what Issei had to offer. He didn't understand what her problem was. The instructions were simple! One, hold on to the tag with the magic circle facing up. Two, make a wish. Three, wait for your Devil to appear. How can it be any more difficult than that?! Simple is best, right?

But the glare she gave him didn't make him feel like a monkey this time. The one she gave him was _leagues _more brutal than the ones before. It made him feel like a single-celled ameba.

"No, wait! That's not the problem!" Issei snapped out of his disparity… or chose to ignore it for the sake of his manhood. "We need to clean this up before someone sees it!"

Already his head swiveled around in search of something to use to help him. His eyes saw a rather tall cupboard in the kitchen, so he circled around the counter and looked through there. Just as he suspected, most of the cleaning products were neatly organized within. He pulled out the mop, a bucket, and some soap.

"…Use the clear bottle with the yellow cap," the girl said after watching him move. "It'll clean up blood better than the wood cleaner you grabbed."

"Clear bottle… yellow cap…" Issei put down the bottle he first grabbed and exchanged it with the one she recommended. It looked to be some homemade formula seeing as the bottle didn't have anything on it while the liquid inside was as clear as alcohol. It also stank something fierce because of his heightened senses, even with the cap firmly on.

"Um…" he turned and dared to ask with some hesitation, "Exactly what is this?"

"…Universal cleaner," was her reply.

"…I-I see…" he gulped after waiting for her to explain further but getting nothing. With that, he filled the bucket with water and mixed it in with some of the unknown cleaning product and went to work. All the while, she watched him from behind the stove until the kennel started to steam. Expertly, she moved around the kitchen and pulled out what was needed to finish the tea without having to take her eyes off of him.

It was starting to become creepy.

Ten minutes later, the tea was served in fine china with a few assortments of other sweets for picking. As one who had to clean the entire house on his own for three years, Issei could take pride in his skills in removing stains. It wasn't something he enjoyed, but it's not like he could have hired help. Well, he could have, but he wasn't so sure what to do if they _somehow _stumbled upon what was under his basement.

He was both amazed and terrified of the girl's mystery cleaner. The blood practically dissolved at the touch. Just in case, he made sure to not directly touch it…

"Thank you for the tea," he said politely as he took his first sip. He wasn't a tea expert so he wasn't sure what kind it was. Nonetheless, it was fruity with a bit of lemon. It was quite nice.

"…You're welcome," she replied almost mechanically as she sat on the couch directly in front of his. She didn't touch her tea but instead continued to stare at him intensely.

There was an awkward silence between the two for some time that was growing worse with each tick of the clock hanging over the kitchen. At least to Issei it was. He couldn't tell what this girl was thinking with her face frozen in the same dull expression.

It was so potent he almost couldn't keep his focus on her exposed panties. Almost.

She wasn't that different from Koneko, yet at the same time the two were obviously two different people. While Koneko hated his existence with every fiber of her being and sent all kinds of subliminal messages of _death _whenever he was around, this girl was staring at him in a quizzical manner. She was observing him, studying him, recording his every action and analyzing the smallest of his movements. Actually, as he thought about it, Koneko did the exact same thing. But there was a difference between the two.

Koneko stared at him as though he were her ultimate enemy and so observed and made note of his weaknesses in order to wait for the perfect moment to strike. This girl was studying him as though he was a new scientific discovery… which wasn't too far from the truth.

"So, um…" Issei placed his cup down and scratched his cheek. The girl's eyes sharpened at his words. "H-How about some introductions? My name is Hyoudou Issei, a local high school student turned Devil, and Pawn of Rias Gremory. It's nice to meet you," he finished with a small bow.

"…Nakashima Ayame," she responded and gave a similar bow. And then resumed to stare at him.

Issei was starting to sweat. He's had some _weird _clients, but at least they were all conversational. "So… um… Nakashima-chan, what can I do for you? As a Devil I'm here to grant a wish so long as you can afford it. I can grant you money and power… and even turn you into a magical girl. But I strongly advise not going for stuff like that."

Her brow arched at the mentioning of a magical girl. Funny story that was. One of Issei's first clients was a full-grown man who desperately wanted to be a magical girl. Dressed up like one and everything. They ended up just watching a bunch of magical girl anime and discussing it over like a pair of otakus. He was a repeat customer, unfortunately…

"…You seem useless for a Devil," she stated as though it were the most obvious of things. It made him flinch in pain. "But I do have a wish I think someone like you can grant. I'm willing to trade my soul for it." For the first time, she looked away. "I… would like… a friend…"

But then her razor sharp gaze went back to him, "I'm even willing to accept a lolicon like you. Though I would have preferred that so-called Prince, I've learned to not be picky."

Instead of flinching, Issei retched forward. "I-I-I'm not a lolicon! Sure I may be a pervert… and may be willingly serving as a Devil to gain my own peerage to one day build a harem, but a lolicon?! What makes you think that?!"

He thought by now he could null out that look that put his intelligence into question. Unfortunately he couldn't. He was rendered back into a single-celled ameba. "…Because you've been staring at my panties this whole time."

His jaw dropped. Impossible! Issei had his observational skills high enough to use nothing but his peripheral vision to see just as clearly as if he was looking directly. It was how he was able to look at Sona's, Buchou's, and Akeno's panties when they sat in front of him without them noticing. Unless, somehow, they _did _know but didn't say anything. Buchou never seemed to mind and continued to believe it was all a mask he put up. Akeno preferred to tease him. And Sona had stopped scolding him months ago.

Which meant though his observational skills were high enough, it didn't mean his discretion skills were on par.

Wait. That wasn't important right now. What she had just said was far more important.

"N-Nakashima-chan…" sweat started to roll down Issei.

"Ayame," she insisted.

"R-Right. Ayame-chan… exactly… how old… are you?"

"…I just turned twelve two months ago," she stated as though she were giving a casual comment about the weather.

Issei fell off the couch and hunched over all four limbs. This whole time he was undressing her in his mind's eye, trying to figure out her measurements, fantasizing about potential situations they could find themselves in during this visit, and had been staring at her panties. Dear God— _Ow!— _he could go to prison just for _imagining _these things! Even though he knew he was going to Hell once he died, there was going to be a special place for someone like him.

"…I had assumed you already knew this," she tilted her head ever so slightly with her brows scrunching a fracture. "Everything about you screamed _virgin _so I assumed you were fine with a young girl. Not that I mind. Since I'm already giving you my soul I see it as already giving you my everything."

Issei nearly flipped the coffee table between them in his recovery. "NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE! We don't trade in souls! And something like your virginity isn't something you just willingly give away to _anybody! _You should give it to someone special…"

"…You say that but you're perfectly fine with me having yours," she said so matter-of-factly as though the words had no weight to them at all.

But they were crushing Issei. "I'm not a lolicon!"

"…Would it have made a difference if I lied and told you I was fourteen?"

Issei stopped fooling around and reseated himself onto the couch. He gave a sigh as he directed his attention at Ayame, who was staring at him the same way as before. But a brow of hers twitched when he didn't falter this time. "No, I'd have to say it wouldn't. I mean by what I said. Something like that isn't something you should just give away. If you were honest about giving it to me, then I thank you. But we don't know each other. Something like that should be more… special."

She blinked a few times before looking away. Her head tilted in contemplation on where to proceed with the conversation. "…I've nothing else to offer you, Issei-chan. Those are the only things I can say are mine. I summoned a Devil with the intentions of giving up everything, but you won't accept them. I don't know what else to do."

His heart went to this girl. The house was far too quiet, even in the dead of night. There was a state of silence echoing through the walls Issei was more familiar with than anyone. He should have picked up the signs quicker. First, the silence. Second, her fib about someone else being home. Third, her lack of social etiquette. And fourth, the distant look in her eyes that screamed boredom.

She was just like him: alone.

He gave her a warm smile, "Ayame-chan, you don't need to offer me anything. I couldn't possibly be a friend if my friendship could be _bought. _So if you want a friend, I'll be that friend. No strings attached."

Her head turned back towards him. Those silver eyes bore into his and he didn't flinch this time. In fact, he welcomed her. He opened himself to her for her to peer into his being. Slowly, he watched as that frozen face began to melt away as she uncovered the similar signs she wore. Her face relaxed, her brows rose, and her eyes widened. In this silent moment of clarity, she recognized him as someone in the same situation as she was.

And in the next moment, as Issei couldn't figure out how this happened, she was sitting on his lap as they were watching TV together. Neither one said a word as they watched some cartoons. While she might have been perfectly fine with the situation, Issei was battling with his confusion. He had to constantly remind himself that she was _twelve _despite her looking like a first-year.

It didn't help that out of the blue she looked up and asked, "So when will you take my virginity?"

"I told you I'm not a lolicon!"

And so began a strange relationship between two individuals who had only themselves as company, who had met another through unnatural means, and had found a companionship between them. From this day onward, Issei would visit Ayame whenever she called for him, sometimes handing extra clients to his other teammates on nights she and another demanded his appearance. Though he had been able to get contracts with each of his clients, Ayame was the only one he refused to make a deal with. Rias had gotten upset with him, but seeing as he always got a good review from her and had been able to make pacts with everyone else, she couldn't criticize him.

*Scene*

Days later…

"Ise, there you are," Rias stood up from her desk as soon as her Pawn arrived. He was the last to show up.

As expected, Koneko glared daggers at Issei the moment he stepped through the door. It didn't stop her from eating her sweets though. She honestly wished the two could get alone. Issei had no problems with her and often tried to be on good terms with her, but the Nekomata wanted nothing to do with him. At first all she did was throw insults and hide behind someone when he appeared. But then it grew worse to where she started throwing things at him, stomped on him just for talking to her, and one time _threw _him out the window.

Rias had enough and scolded her for her unruly behavior. Koneko stopped harassing Issei, but it didn't stop her from being cold to him. When asked her reasons to be so against the Pawn, Koneko couldn't provide an adequate reason. Even Koneko didn't seem to know and stated it was more out of instinct than consciousness. Eventually, after much thought, Koneko came up with something.

_"...A hunter," _was her answer.

Rias didn't know what to make of it and Koneko didn't know how to elaborate any further. Issei was nothing but a good kid. Perverted beyond any means of attempting to understand, yes, but a good kid with good morals. It's not like he would sexually assault any of the girls of the academy. He only went as far as to peep on them from a safe distance. Besides, even if he was given the chance to do anything with a girl, he would do everything in his power to go against it. If anything, Issei was more of a coward. There was nothing about him that struck her as the hunter type.

But then again… There was the question on what he did on nights he 'requested' evenings off or on days he didn't show up to school. He would show up to the clubroom either exhausted or covered with a few bandages. And then there was the strange warning from Sona; about how he was a force too powerful for Rias to be able to control.

"Good evening, Buchou," Issei greeted with his usual smile. "Akeno-oneesama. _Kiba. _Kone—"

"Bite me," the Nekomata responded out of habit.

And in the next blink of an eye, Issei was crying in the corner with his back to everyone. The habitual exchange partook almost every day and made Rias think twice about him being any kind of 'hunter'.

"Issei, focus!" Rias clapped her hands to get his attention. "This is important. The Archduke has sent us a warning about a rogue Devil entering our territory. We've been able to track its location so we're moving out this moment to take care of it. This is serious so I need you to be ready."

Issei raised his hand and asked a question as though he were still in class, "What exactly is a rogue Devil?"

Akeno answered with her _delightful _smile, "Stray Devils are those who abandon their masters and wander around of their own volition. This one, however, killed her former King and began to eat humans as a way to grow stronger. But she couldn't control the power she gathered and went mad. I believe she should be a deformed beast at this point."

It always irked Issei on how she could be so… cheerful even about the darkest of things.

"Ise," Rias began again, "I've marked the location on your device. Since you still can't produce enough demonic energy to travel through the magic circle, I'm afraid you're going to have to get there on your own. But we'll be waiting for you. There's something I need you to see."

Issei pulled out the GPS device he had been using since the days he delivered fliers to mailboxes. True to her words, a red blip blinked on the screen. But he groaned when he saw the location being on the opposite side of town, past the rural area and over the hills.

"Yes… Buchou…" he gave a heavy sigh and let a single tear fall as he stood up. He had a lot of pedaling to do…

*Scene*

Even on a bicycle it should have taken a normal person slightly less than an hour to cross the grand distance of the city to their isolated location. It was when Rias was finishing her briefing on strategy with her Pieces did she hear the roaring from the distance. The other sign came from Akeno, who gave her usual mischievous laughter and made a mention of something over the horizon. And then there was the tensing of Koneko as she decided to use Yuuto as a shield.

"Goooowwwooooohhhh!"

Rias nearly tripped where she stood when she saw her Pawn on his bicycle coming from the hills. A trail of dust followed him. She watched as his form was blurred by both his speed and the winds he was generating.

From the horizon, approximately six to seven miles away from the top of the first hill, Issei had just covered the distance in less than two minutes. It meant he had been cycling at _least _40 mph.

…Via bicycle.

At the appropriate distance, he slid sideways and leaned against his direction to have his bike screech to a halt. Expertly, almost masterfully, he had been able to stop right in front of the group.

And there wasn't a bead of sweat on him.

"Sorry for being so late, Buchou!" He gave a sheepish smile as he got off his bike… which had been totaled by the strain of his abilities. "I got here as soon as I could."

"Fufufufu," cackled Akeno behind a hand. "An interesting one indeed."

Rias quickly shook off her surprise. She shouldn't be surprised to begin with. It was possible for Devils to perform similar tasks since their bodies were far more durable than a human's. And Issei was a character who had proven capable of battling against Fallen Angels. So seeing something like this shouldn't come as a shock.

But, as she did the math in her head, he had somehow been able to cross thirty miles in less than five minutes. Which meant in those last two minutes he had slowed down to assist his braking. And if she was doing her math right… which she hoped was wrong… it meant Issei was breaking the sound barrier to get here.

…_Via his bicycle!_

She wondered if the magic concealing his Devil activities were strong enough to cancel out the sound and damages wrought by a sonic boom.

"D-Don't worry about it…" she told herself to not ask any questions until he was ready to reveal something. She told herself to be patient, but the limits she set on herself were starting to come down. "But I do have to ask… If you got here so fast, why can't you be this fast getting to your clients?"

Issei answered honestly, "Because I can't afford to buy a new bike every time. And I figured this was an emergency with the way Akeno-oneesama said this Stray Devil ate people. I can't allow a chance for it to slip away and bring more harm to others."

She nodded at that answer. "Very well, now that you're here we can begin the operation. I've already informed everyone else about the strategy. Seeing as you're new, I'm going to have you on standby to watch and observe how we do things. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Buchou," Issei responded with his perverted and goofy personality gone. His eyes were sharp with resolve. "But I insist if things go out of control to allow me to step in. I don't want this thing escaping and hunt more people if given the chance."

Rias gave a proud smile, "If it will make my adorable Pawn happy, then I'll allow it. But I assure you it won't be needed. None of us are pushovers. Just watch and see."

*Scene*

The Stray Devil was exactly what he had imagined. A corrupted being so tainted in evil vices to have its body morphed to match its soul, it was the upper torso of a beautiful woman (with _nice _breasts) but had the lower half convoluted into a cross between a horse and a reptile. She may have had the appearance of a human and may have mimicked one's behavior, but all manner of intelligence was gone from this creature and replaced with primal madness— fitting that of a gluttonous beast.

The threat level from this creature was too high for Issei to ignore. He might not be as sensitive to the vices of others like some of his sempai, especially the Divine Beast, but he could still sense the quality of sin this once Devil had brought in her greed for power. He could smell the amount of blood soaking through her skin that will never go away with the amount of innocent death she delivered. And rendered to nothing but a carnivorous beast, she will continue in her quest for more power until she explodes or mutates into something beyond recognition.

If left alone, Issei will have to step in as Eighth Predator.

However, he listened to his King's orders and watched as she explained the roles of each member of her peerage. Kiba Yuuto, her Knight, danced around the Stray Devil Viser with a sword manifesting in his hand out of nowhere. His augment through the Knight Piece granted him enhanced speed.

Toujou Koneko, her Rook, was able to deliver powerful blows with a punch or kick strong enough to throw Viser around like a doll. Her augment through the Rook Piece granted her extreme strength and defense.

Rias took the time to define the other Piece, the Bishop. She claimed due to certain circumstances she couldn't have direct access to her current Bishop. But she explained the perk of the Bishop granted the Devil extended supplies of demonic energies.

And then, there was the Queen, Himejima Akeno. As Queen, she had the perks of all the pieces put together. Enhanced speed, strength, defense, and a surplus in demonic energy reserves.

Akeno flew through the air, high enough to touch the ceiling. She raised her hand; a series of sparks lit up the dark room as lightning surged between her fingertips. At the sound of cackling electricity, Yuuto and Koneko leapt away from Viser. The Stray Devil, weakened enough to be dazed and confused, had no idea what was going to happen next.

Akeno unleashed a fierce bolt of lightning from her hand down onto the Stray Devil like an angry god punishing a sinner. But Issei frowned as he saw the durability of the Stray Devil had been able to resist enough lightning to keep her alive. Badly burnt, sure, but still alive. It was enough for her to move freely once the shock went away.

It took Issei a moment to realize this was intentional. Rias acted like nothing was wrong, even smirked at her Queen's behavior. But after the _third _mediocre lightning bolt zapping Viser, Issei realized what was going on.

Akeno was a sadist.

The Queen laughed in delight as she continued to hold back just enough to make sure the Stray Devil was screaming in agony. Just enough to where Viser wouldn't pass out or succumb to her wounds. A heavy blush coated her face as she was using her free hand to lick her fingers. She wasn't just enjoying it; she was getting turned-on by it.

Now, Issei's seen his fair share of BDSM over the years. As the greatest pervert to have ever lived in the entirety of history, he didn't mind sadism. Lately he's grown an appreciation for things like femdom due to the abuse he's received from Koneko. He also enjoyed Akeno's teasing just to see him uncomfortable.

But, as a pervert, he's been forced to acknowledge the difference between fantasy and reality. Sadism in porn was far different than sadism in the real world.

In the real world, right at this moment, there was one person who was enjoying seeing another person scream in pain and begging for mercy. Someone who was having their skin burnt from the inside, having their nerves fried, releasing their lower bowels from such nerve damage, and having nothing but pain tear apart their minds. And on the other end was a girl, safe and sound at a distance, not just enjoying the face the victim was making. But was enjoying the fact that _she _was the one doing the harm.

He had seen that sickening smile before. That smile that took perverse delight in the most atrocious of acts for their own amusement. His mind blanked out as the memory forced its way through. He tried to fight it, tried to push it back down. He bit his lip to try to have the pain distract him. But it didn't save him.

_"Well, facelifts costs like five grand so…" the man pulled at his own face as if it didn't fit him right. Issei realized it wasn't a face. It was a mask made out of human skin, still fresh with the blood dripping down his chin. And the mask smiled at him though a smile he had known his entire life: that of his father's. This was a mask made out of his father's face!_

_ "See anything you like?!"_

"EXPLOSION!"

Issei snapped. His body launched forward with the collective potential he had been building up from observing the battle. He was nothing but a blur as he crossed the distance in a blink.

An eruption of gravel and marble from the floor and pillars went everywhere, forcing everyone to cover themselves. But with a mild wind spell, Akeno was able to sweep away the cloud of dust threatening to choke everyone. It was then she saw what remained of her latest victim.

Issei was lowering his stance after delivering a fatal blow. His feet had created two small craters into the ground by the amount of rebound force driven in his attack. He had also carelessly thrown himself in front of Akeno's attack and so had his left shoulder scorched. Through the hole in his clothes, they could make out the corner tracing of neon florescent markings _breathing _as he did.

But it wasn't important at the moment. Viser the Stray Devil was, without any reason of doubt, dead. Issei had used the most basic of the Assaulter stance to deliver a forward punch directly onto Viser's abdomen. The amount of power he put behind the punch had her body explode into several chunks. Hardly anything of her was recognizable with most her chunks hanging over the stair railway and walls. Even her head had been crushed as it was left in a dent in the wall.

Like a swordsman, Issei extended his fingers and flicked his arm downward fast enough for most of the blood and guts to fly off. He did not say anything as his face was contorted with both rage and sorrow. He did not look at anyone either as he continued to stare off into space.

"If that is all," he said without any emotion, "I'll be leaving for the evening."

He didn't say anything else, nor did he dare to look at any of his teammates. He especially refused to look at _Himejima's _direction. At the moment, he couldn't stand the sight of her. Rias was calling his name, but he chose at the moment to ignore her. He'll have to apologize to her when he can. But right now, he needed to get home. The wall he had built for his memories had come down and they were starting to warp his thoughts. He didn't want to see what will happen if he stuck around much longer.

"Koneko!" he heard Yuuto cry in alarm. With a quick glance, he saw the blonde handsome catch the School Idol as her knees gave in. Her face was flushed and she was panting. Her eyes were absolutely absorbed by Issei. When their eyes met, her flush intensified.

Regardless, her moment got everyone's attention. When Rias looked away to see what the alarm was about, it gave Issei a chance to slip away. As soon as he stepped outside, he activated his Gift of Flight and disappeared, not caring if Koneko saw his draconian wings alight or not.

*Scene*

"Hey, what are you doing today?"

Ayame made sure that the sun was up. And so it was. She had wondered who in the world was demanding her presence so early in the morning— she had answered the door in nothing but her nightgown, nightcap, and Red Blur plushy tucked in her arms— and never expected Issei of all people to be there. True she had tried to summon him last night, but she had received a message via _carrier bat _(is that supposed to be the Devil equivalent of carrier _pigeon?_) saying they couldn't accept requests that night. Yet here Issei was. He apparently didn't get his own company's memo and was late… twelve hours late, at that.

But someone as sharp as Ayame could tell there was something wrong with Issei. As the sole resource of her communication, she had absorbed every detail of him. Oh he still had that stupid grin on his face that warranted her to call the police on this _pedophile, _but the angle was slightly stretched. She reasoned he was forcing himself to smile and was succeeding only through muscle memory. He was very good at fooling others. But to someone who had monitored his every action down to the last detail could tell something was wrong.

However… that didn't stop her from giving him her trademark 'Are you an idiot?' stare at his question. 'What are you doing today?' Seriously? Does she _ever _do anything?

She sighed and opened the door a little wider. "Come in and wait for me to get dressed. I'll call the police if I catch you peeping."

"…I'll just wait for you in the living room." He stated with a nervous laugh and a scratch to his cheek.

She let a frown slip. Not a good sign if he wasn't going to argue with her about being a lolicon. She usually looked forward to that. She enjoyed watching him react like an exaggerated drama character whenever she teased him about taking her virginity. It never failed to get him riled up either. But today? He obviously wasn't himself.

With a shrug, seeing as she had little to no experience in dealing with people to begin with, she left him alone to prepare herself for the day. She had been up late at night watching the rerun special marathon of her favorite anime and would have loved a few more hours of sleep. But Issei was her only friend, no matter how much she would have preferred the High School Prince. He always came whenever she called so why shouldn't she do the same? Even if it is such a burden.

Half an hour later, she chose to step out of her room in a common blue shirt underneath her Red Blur sweatshirt and thigh shorts with white knee socks. The Red Blur sweatshirt was one size too big (as it was supposed to be for _boys_) and contained the hero's red scale armor design, the hood coming with a mask with green screens for eyes, and the obscure spinal tail found at the back of the neck which flowed down to her tailbone. It was her absolute favorite and wore it on days she felt lazy and wanted to just watch TV.

She also chose it because she wanted to see Issei react in his normal cartoonish way. The sweatshirt made the impression that she wasn't wearing anything underneath with the way it covered her shorts as well. No doubt he would flip and go on some inner monologue with himself on whether he should say something against her or admire her appearance a little longer at the cost of being called a pedophile.

Unfortunately, and this time it made Ayame worry, Issei gave no such reaction. He saw her coming down the hallway and ushered her towards the dining table. Of course his eyes flickered to what she was wearing, but he didn't freak out like she wanted him to. He just kept smiling and served breakfast.

An angry tick-mark appeared on Ayame's brow. The stupid lolicon was, for once, _competent. _He was considerate of her attire and chose to not ogle her, was going along with her usual insults, and was going as far as to make sure to prepare a delicious and nutritious breakfast?!

Ayame took the first bite of the grilled fish. Her chopsticks lingered by her lips as she absorbed the taste. As sharp as her eyes, her tongue acknowledged the amount of tender care put in preparation.

Another angry tick-mark appeared.

"Ah…" Issei scratched the back of his head. "Sorry for using your kitchen and your ingredients. I wasn't sure if you had breakfast yet so I thought I should at least do this for you. Don't worry, I'll clean up all the dishes and later today repurchase the ingredients I used."

A third tick-mark appeared.

Breakfast was eaten in silence for a few minutes. A fourth tick-mark appeared when he didn't react to her staring like he normally did. He didn't falter or try to start a conversation to distract her. Instead, he ate away and _welcomed _her staring.

With a smile, he mentioned, "This is nice… Enjoying breakfast with someone. Don't you think so, Ayame-chan?"

When the _fifth _tick-mark appeared, she was the one to flip.

*Scene*

"…I see," Ayame said during lunch at a café. It took several hours and a few activities for Issei to finally get over his depression to open up to Ayame. Even after she had thrown every dish at his face and demanded to know what was wrong with him, he didn't say anything other than that he was going to clean up _her _mess. He even had the audacity to serve her a second serving of breakfast.

For most of the morning, he had used her as a distraction to escape what turmoil he was running away from. They had caught an early discount movie, played games at the arcade, shopped through the clothing district, and then finally decided to grab some food at a local café. No matter how many times she jested about this being a date with an underage girl, Issei never bickered back. She wanted to enjoy this as this was her first time doing anything with an actual friend in her entire life, but the gap between them was keeping her from doing so.

She took everything about wanting the High School Prince back. She just wanted her old friend. Pedophilia and all with it.

Eventually he told her what was wrong and apologized for using her as a distraction. He told her about the Stray Devil incident and what he was forced to do to stop it from escalating any further. And now, he was ditching school because he wasn't sure how he was going to confront his fellow Devils at the Occult Research Club. Eventually he'll have to report back to them, but he wasn't sure what to say to them. He liked each of them personally, even that horrendously abusive Koneko girl, but he wasn't sure if he could trust any of them if they were all okay with Akeno's sadistic personality.

Ayame didn't miss his mentioning of killing this Stray Devil. Ayame wasn't so innocent as to be unaware of what death meant, as she had watched that fat _thing _wear her father's face like a mask and murder her mother before her eyes. And secretly she wished for revenge against the culprit. But to be able to kill? Ayame wasn't so sure of that. Yet Issei had openly admitted to have killed. It showed on his face how much of a burden it was to him.

"…So you're running away like a bitch?" she shoved her words at him like a rusty blade to the chest. Let it be known just because she had read up on psychology enough to understand the way people thought did not mean she knew how to treat and comfort them.

"…Yeah," Issei sighed in defeat.

Huh, Ayame mused. So this was what it felt like when the roles were reversed. Usually Issei did all the talking while she gave short responses. It was a wonder why he didn't get annoyed. She already was and this was just the first response after telling his story.

She ate a strawberry from her fruit parfait before going on, "You can't avoid them forever, Ise-chan. If you don't go in to work, they'll eventually come for you."

He gave another sigh while playing with his fries with a fork. "Yeah, I know that. I'm still debating whether I should go in tonight or not. I still have my responsibilities as a Devil and will have clients calling me. I shouldn't ignore them; it wouldn't be fair."

She thought about cracking a joke about him being a call-girl, but it would have the same effect as the other hundred remarks today. That is to say… nothing.

Right now, she was more angry with herself than with him at this point. For all that reading she's done in her moments of isolation, she had no idea how to get Issei out of this rut. She had always fantasized what to say during moments like these when she would finally achieve a friend. And here Issei was, the friend she wished for, and had been lost in what to do.

It made her realize that no matter how much she observed him, she had only seen his positive side. She only saw what he allowed her to see. Now that his usual friendly mask was gone, she was clueless on who the individual sitting across of her was.

No, no matter what, this was Hyoudou Issei, her friend.

"…Let's go have fun," she said before munching on a peach this time. Chewing, swallowing, she continued, "Real fun this time. Not that sorry excuse you tried to pull earlier."

Twenty minutes later, they were shut off from the world as they had rented out a karaoke room for the next hour. They ordered a few sodas and snacks while they sang songs together. Let it be known Hyoudou Issei is _not _a singer, and he only chose opening songs from anime shows. Well, it wasn't like Ayame was any better as she couldn't put much feeling in her singing and chose only the top twenty songs on the popularity charts. If she could combine her voice with Issei's enthusiasm it was believed they could create something magical.

But when they tried the duet…

Two hours after that fiasco, they found themselves back in the shopping district. This time checking out the clothing and merchandise rather than brooding about. She managed to convince him to go clothes shopping with her as well as waiting for her in the dressing room as she tried each one on and presented her choices to him. It was but one of those things she fantasized about… except she expected her friend in her fantasies to be a girl. But Issei, being the pervert that he is included, will have to do.

Only, he didn't react in his perverted manner. In fact, he just openly stated which clothes were cute on her or what clothes would have gone better with a certain article. She was quickly getting annoyed at how the pedophile wasn't reacting the way she wanted him to. Yes, she was twelve, but she was still a girl and would like to know she had at least _some _appeal to her.

So she suddenly just presented herself in her underwear. _Finally _he flipped, shoved her back into the room, and told her to get dressed. But he found himself in a situation to where someone would spot him coming out of a woman's changing room and there would definitely be problems. So he was forced to turn his back to her and let her get dressed with him in the room.

She let a smile slip. Her friend was coming back to her.

"Oh yeah," Issei spoke up while they were in an otaku shop. "Ayame-chan… about that sweatshirt…"

…Did it seriously take him this long for him to finally figure out what she was wearing? Five hours and he's _barely _about to say something about it?

"…I am wearing something underneath, you lolicon," she blurted while scanning the latest releases of DVDs.

"Um… no, not that…" Issei made a quick look around to make sure no one else had heard her comment. He was finally starting to come back to his usual self. Ayame felt relieved. "I was going to ask—"

But she cut him off with an audible gasp. Her eyes widened as she spotted the object she had desired for so long. Some _schmuck _must have misplaced it into the New Releases shelf. If this were in its preferred spot then someone, like her, looking for it through every shop would have swiped it immediately. Was it by sheer luck, that through someone's mistake, that it was here before her?

It was the special edition of **Dragon Knight Heroes **with a special disc featuring their movie. It covered all three seasons, provided director and voice actor commentary on each episode, and gave a teaser episode featuring the soon-to-be revealed Black Dragon Knight. There was less than a hundred of this box set produced and hardcore fans of the series had fought a bloody war to get their hands on this. And yet, _somehow, _it was untouched in this run-down no-name otaku shop.

And it came with a Red Blur phone strap.

Shoving Issei aside, she ran immediately to the counter while holding on to her precious treasure tucked into her arms. She was going to bite off the head of anyone who dared to get in her way. Luckily she didn't need to as she safely got to the clerk.

…Only to find the box set was more expensive than she realized. She was a fool to not have checked the price. She had expunged in her allowance today and wasn't just going to be tight on food this week, but she was missing a few yen to afford the anime collection. Rather, even if she had the money, she wouldn't be able to feed herself until her aunt gave her more money the following week.

Actually starvation was a worthy price to pay for this. So she cursed herself for spending on unnecessary things like _clothes and parfaits._

"Well…?" the impatient clerk was waiting for her to pay.

She slumped in defeat. There was nothing she could do and was going to embarrass herself.

"Here, I'll pay for that," Issei approached at her side and handed a debit card to the clerk. The clerk gave him a shrug and then accepted the payment. He then packed the box set into a bag and handed it to Issei, who then handed it to Ayame.

And Ayame accepted it as though it were the Holy Grail itself. She cradled it in her arms in a firm yet tender hold.

When they exited the shop, Ayame looked up at Issei with newfound glory radiating around his aura. She was seeing him as this truly magnificent being. "Issei… Marry me."

In response, Issei tripped on his feet and landed flat on his face.

With the foolishness aside, and after rubbing the dirt off his chin, he addressed her again, "I wanted to ask you about that," he pointed in the divine treasure in her arms followed by her sweatshirt. "What… Where… How…"

Not being able to put his question into words, he ended up scratching his head.

She didn't know either what he wanted, so she decided to just elaborate on the basic information and see where that lead. "**Dragon Knight Heroes **is an anime based off of the Red Blur incidents happening all over the world. Ever since they captured an image of him, Sunlight Studios produced an anime with the Red Blur being the main character. In later episodes they introduced his rival, White Chaser, as his archenemy. Most of the anime is reproduces incidents the Red Blur has solved but there is something of a story in there… somewhere. Most of it is about fighting monsters though. It's my absolute favorite… Ise-chan?"

She watched as the more she elaborated… the more his expression began to tense. His brows came together in confusion at first, then of astonishment, and then finally of horror. His jaw ended up dropping, sweat began to drip down his brow, and his eyes widened.

Suddenly, his hands were squeezing her shoulders. "Ayame-chan… we're going home right now and watching _all _of this. Even if it takes days."

A curious brow was arched by this reaction. Well, no matter the reasons, she supposed she should be glad that her friend had the same interest as her. At last she could watch her favorite anime and discuss about it in long hours with someone other than the mirror or Red Plush and Plush Chaser.

She nodded.

*Scene*

Issei turned off his phone and removed the power cell in the Devil GPS system so that no one would disturb him. No doubt Rias would be trying to get a hold of him. But this was far more important than his duties as a Devil. This revolved around his responsibilities as Eighth Predator. He wondered for a moment if Sona knew about this. More than likely not as she always told him what about him was reported on TV and what wasn't. But he wondered how she could have missed an _anime _about him.

He didn't say anything as he let Ayame sit on his lap with _Red Plush _and _Plush Chaser _held tight in her arms as the two watched the entirety of the box set. He wasn't sure if he should be annoyed or humored about plush versions of him or the white blur. But he didn't say anything as he kept all of his attention focused on each episode.

The story was garbage. Some nonsense about him coming from space to be the defender of humanity and other cliché stuff he's seen in hundreds of generic anime. But they had been able to capture a few other details. Some of which were far too close for him to be comfortable.

Ayame looked at him a few times, mostly when his grip on her tightened.

Certain incidents, such as the forest fire in Germany caused by an angry spirit, had been right on the spot. He saved some of the villagers, created that trail of dirt to halt the fire's advance, and then battled the fire spirit directly to stop its rampage. The animators of the show not only had gotten a general aspect of his armor detail down, but had been able to reanimate the image of the fire spirit so well it was as though Issei was reliving that moment. Granted the fight was much more flashier than the actual brawl due to entertainment purposes, but some of the attacks such as a beam of fire or creating of fire sprites were there.

Issei didn't know what to make of it. Someone _knew _what was really going on. And out of thirty-six episodes, twenty of them he would say were more accurate than they were supposed to be. He'll have to ask Sona to look into it. Maybe even some of the other Predators; at least one of them should know about this.

"What do you think, Ise-chan?" Ayame asked after they finished the regular episodes. It was very late into the evening and they decided to cut off right there. They could watch the specials and the movie some other day.

Issei lifted her off of him and tried to get the blood circulation back onto his legs. Nine hours of her sitting on his lap left his legs as dead as the night. "Nothing compared to the Dragon Ball series, and a little too flashy for my taste. But I did like the situations he found himself in. Like against that sandstorm jinni. That looked like a tough opponent."

And indeed it was. That horrific moment took Issei forever to take down. Powered by the wishes of humanity, the jinni was immortal and had the potential to become deathless. It took Issei forty-seven times of killing it to finally have it weak enough to suppress. He left it weakened for the local mages to seal it back into its prison, which they did thankfully.

"But Ayame-chan," Issei lifted up Red Plush and examined the stitch marks that made up the design of his Balance Breaker armor. "What is it that you like about it so much? Why do you say it's your favorite?"

Ayame took a seat across of him on the opposite couch. She had long thought about what to say should the question arise. She just hesitated as she tried to calm down her excitement. "…The anime is absolute garbage."

Issei sweatdropped. He just couldn't understand this girl no matter how hard he tried.

She continued, "I only watch it because I… admire the Red Blur. Since he arrived a few years ago, I've been watching the news a lot more and been trying to follow how the world works. At first I couldn't pay attention to it much until I got older, but I could at least notice something right away.

"He never killed anyone," she munched on some of the stale popcorn they made earlier as she chose her words carefully. "In all the world there were muggers, rapists, murderers, warlords, slavers— all the evil in the world with the most heinous of individuals and he never took any of their lives. A normal person would give in to hatred and execute them on the spot. Yet he never did.

"Whenever he appears, he is a force that cannot be defied. He's appeared in the middle of battle zones and stopped both sides from fighting. Without a doubt he has the power to kill everyone if he so chose, yet he doesn't. He delivers criminals to the judgment of the law, no matter how big or small their wrongs might have been. And he is not prejudice against any nation or race as he goes around the _world _saving everyone.

"But I always wonder _why _he's doing this," she looked away as she hug Plush Chaser a little closer. "He has the ability to know right from wrong so he must be human, not some alien like the anime speculates or some animal. Yet someone as powerful as that doesn't need to go out of his way to save people. He has it in his rights to go against nations and rule over them, yet he doesn't. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

"Then I think; does he do it for the recognition? The fame? But he never sticks around long enough for any of that. His picture was taken by _chance. _He doesn't want people to know about him. But the news already does, yet he continues with his predetermined plan of anonymity. So he doesn't do it to be some renowned hero."

She gave a small sigh as she leaned back against the couch. "I think… he does it because he's trying to run away from something."

Issei's eyes widened in pure shock. He tried to hide it, but Ayame had already caught it.

She shrugged and went on, "Why else would he try so hard to save everyone? No matter who they were? Why would he not care about the recognition and glory that came along with it? I think he's just trying to save people just for the sake of doing it. Because he feels that with the power he has he has to do _something _with it. It… it's what I would do."

"…Would you like to meet him?"

Her eyes narrowed once more to question his intelligence. But they shifted into an expression of confusion when he returned her stare with a serious one of his own. Contemplating on his words, she shrugged, "Yes. I would love to."

He gave her a warm smile, "You know, Ayame-chan, as a Devil I can make that wish come true. Fortunately for you it's within my power so the price won't be as steep as your life."

Ayame snickered, actually snickered! "If a useless lolicon like you could get him to come over, I'll not just give you my soul and virginity, I'll even start to call you Ise-nii from now on, _Onii-chan._"

Issei blushed heavily as her sweet tone struck a heartstring within him. That was foul play! She called him something that every pervert dreamed of being called!

"…Oh now I see," her dry tone returned. "So you're not a lolicon. You're actually a siscon."

"I am no such thing!" Issei denied… with a small trickle of blood dripping down his nose.

"Don't worry. Even if you are, you're still a lolicon since I'm still only twelve."

"REGARDLESS!" Issei shouted to get back on track. "If I can get you to meet him, would you be willing to sign a contract with me? I think if I got one from you Buchou will forgive me for ditching tonight."

"…So you'll use your little sister as a scapegoat? Onii-chan, you're so mean, _sniff," _she fake cried while making a gesture to wipe a nonexistent tear from her eye. "But yes, I'll make one with you. But…"

She looked away as she blushed. Issei didn't know why.

"I… actually enjoy… calling you… my brother," she confessed. "Can… I keep doing it anyways?"

Issei stood once the pins and needles feelings died and his legs returned to full function. "Only if you'll let me call you Aya-nee."

Ayame was the one to flinch this time. Her face heated up and hid behind Plush Chaser. She didn't expect him to call her that and it really triggered something deep from within her.

Issei started to head towards the door. "It's very late. I'll be heading home. Good night, Aya-nee. Make sure to be near a TV tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and look out for this signal."

With his back turned against her, he turned his torso just enough for her to see the side of his face. He gave her a bright smile and a thumbs-up with his right hand.

*Scene*

As promised, Ayame stayed around the living room and kept the television on public channels. She kept the television volume loud enough to be able to be heard throughout the house when she was busy cleaning the other rooms and hallway. So far nothing important had happened that would warrant her attention. She had no idea what Ise-nii was going on about.

Around four in the afternoon, her house phone rang. No doubt that annoying social worker was trying to get a hold of her aunt again. She should have known by now it was best to try the evenings when her shift at the health clinic was over. Regardless, it wouldn't do well if Ayame wasn't home when the social worker called so she picked up the phone.

"…Nakashima residence."

"_Aya-nee!" _Ise-nii was on the other line. It was hard to hear him as his location was noisy from the wind. But it didn't sound like he was in traffic or anything like that. Just that he was in a windy area. _"Are you by a TV?"_

Her eyes traced over towards the television that had been on all day. If only her glare could be transferred through the phone receiver. "…Yes, Ise-nii."

"_Good! I want you to flip through the news channels and see if you can find a bank heist. I think I spot a Channel 42 crew."_

Ayame did as she was told and flipped through the channels until she saw the heist going on near Shibuya. From the camera angle, the crew was several blocks away from the actual danger as the police were currently locked away in a gunfight against a few robbers. The officers were outgunned as they carried their handheld pistols while the robbers had assault rifles. Plus there were a few hostages from what Ayame could tell. Eventually the special task forces will arrive and solve everything. But there was still the possibility someone will lose a life; the robbers, a hostage, or an officer.

…Losing a life? Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She recalled Issei's words last night. "…The one in Shibuya?"

"_That's the one! Watch carefully Ayame!"_

And with that, the line went dead. Issei had hung up.

Curious more than anything, Ayame put the receiver back and went over towards the television. What in the world was Issei up to? Was he going to use his _useless _Devil magic to make the bad-guys go away? Seriously, it's not like he could just make the Red Blur appear out of nowhere. That would be retarded.

*Scene*

Miles high above, far too high to gather anyone's attention, especially the news choppers hovering safely over the gunfight, Issei clicked off his cellphone while tucking it back safely into the inside pocket of his under-armor. His wings continued to blaze by his command. His draconian green eyes sharpened as he willed his power to intensify his optic capabilities. Even at this distance, he could make out the smallest of details with utmost clarity. He had already scouted how many officers there were, the general layout of the building through his cellphone, and estimated how many burglars there were. He was forced to assume there was at least one away as a driver and another hidden somewhere else in cases of a breach.

With a smile, he was going to give Ayame the best gift ever.

"**Balance Breaker!"**

The power within his core surged through his veins. Red armor materialized out of nothing but his will and passion. By his command, he willed his potential to be multiplied in league tiers. Feeling the power flow through him like liquid hot metal, he tucked his body forward and flew directly to the ground. His wings blazed to kick his speed greater than freefall gravity. Before hitting the ground, he rolled and planted his feet downward.

Impossibly, his landing did not create a crater or cause a massive explosion like it should have. He was over six-hundred pounds in this armor yet his wings suppressed most of the force. But his landing _did _shake the ground, causing officers and assailants alike to wobble on their feet. It made his presentation and gravitas all that much more devastating.

When he slowly stood back up to let the crowds absorb his appearance, there was a silence that he knew was spread throughout all of Japan. By the time people started to recover from their shock, the silence would spread to the entire world as the video feed would be leaked onto every media station in every country. The Red Blur wasn't just coming in to stop a robbery; he was making a presentation out of it.

The assailants were the first to come to their senses. But as the pair in the front started to raise their guns, Issei had already moved. Before they could so much as _think, _his gauntlet claws gripped their faces as he crossed over thirty meters in an instant and his inhuman strength flung them behind him. Their bodies flew outside with the one on the right breaking through the glass window. They hit the ground hard, rolled, and slammed into the sides of police vehicles.

There was the man behind the counter, believing himself safe behind the bullet-proof glass as he was busy tucking bank notes into a few duffle bags. Or at least he was until the ground shook by Issei's arrival. The other man, more than likely the leader of the group, stood at the center of the room as he had been giving orders left and right to his men and hostages. He was the one who first came to his senses, faster than the other two, and was already pulling a hostage into his arms with a pistol to her head.

The threat was nulled as Issei once again crossed the distance in a flash, crushing the gun into dust in his grip while breaking the man's arm to release the woman. She fell forward out of shock and the sudden jerk caused by the assailant, but Issei had the chance to catch her. While dealing with her, he lifted his boot up to the man's abdomen and kicked him towards the counter. The glass rattled with the first layer cracking upon collision. His body fell to the floor, no doubt unconscious.

But Issei wouldn't dare endanger the lives of anyone else if he wasn't and chose to get back up should Issei be distracted. So, like the others, he flung him out the window for the officers to take care of.

That left the fourth man behind the glass wall who was shitting bricks in fear. He had his back pressed against the far wall and gave a nervous laugh as his mind was telling him he was safe. That there was no way Issei could cross through the barrier.

Oh how wrong he was.

Issei leapt forward, shattering through the reinforced glass barrier as though it were nothing but a screen door. The assailant's eyes widened in horror as he realized there was nothing to protect him.

Much like the others, he too was flung out the entrance.

That left the driver and potential hidden one. Issei narrowed his senses and tried to sense hostile intent throughout the area. Most of it was directed outside, though it had been greatly depleted by Issei. He could, however, feel a little something radiating within the building.

His head swiveled down towards a man in the center of the huddled crowd, imposing as a hostage. When their eyes locked, his widened in horror and acceptance that _Issei knew. _He gripped a young man's shoulder and tried to pull a pistol out of the back of his pants hidden by his shirt. But two others had seen what he was attempting to do and so tried to stop him. The one behind him wrapped his arms around him in a headlock while the other pried the gun out of his hands.

Issei activated his wings once more, flew over all their heads, and plucked the assailant out of the crowd. And rather than tossing him towards the police, Issei personally saw to it he was delivered… but not before being forcefully slammed to the ground hard enough to make him black out yet not enough to cause major damage.

Before anything else, Issei flew up and arched over a few buildings with his senses tracing the final signature of similar intent coming from an alleyway a few blocks down. Disguised as a taxi van service, the escape vehicle as well as the driver was listening intently on a radio broadcast as well as a communicator in his hand. In panic, he started the vehicle and slammed the pedal to take off in all haste.

…Only for Issei to slam onto the hood hard enough to break the engine and the man to slam his head forward against the steering wheel. Had he not been wearing his seatbelt, then the damage would have been much more severe. Luckily Issei had noticed and chose this method rather than prying him out of the side door _while _the vehicle was still moving.

But wanting to continue with this show, Issei lifted the van over his head and commanded his wings to take him back towards the scene. He heard the audible gasps of wonder as, like a superhero, he delivered the crushed van with the dazed driver to the center of the street. By the time he had gently released the van, the assailants were already in cuffs with some of them being checked by ambulance personnel, and the hostages were being escorted outside. Issei did not sense any other mal-intent coming from anywhere and so had to rule out the scene was taken care of.

It was then the special task force arrived in their armored car. Men in tactical gear burst through the door with their weapons drawn and pointed at him. But he could feel both their fear and wonder radiating out of them. He could also feel their confusion for pointing a weapon at them, he who saved people and stopped criminals. But it was their duty and so thought nothing against them.

But before taking off, with his back turned towards the crowds and several cameras pointed at him, he turned his body just enough for the left side of his helmed mask to appear. He then gave a thumbs-up to them.

"_Das ist für dich, Kirsche."_

He chose to speak in German to confuse everyone watching this. It's not like he could speak Japanese. People would speculate he was a Japanese citizen and would then start looking into him a little better. Someone clever would be able to narrow the search on his identity. So he chose German to throw a wrench in their search. Ayame was a smart girl and would be able to translate his words. No doubt everyone else in the whole world will as well.

With that, his wings flared and he took off towards the skies, just slow enough for others to see his departure, but fast enough to appear with his trademark speed. They knew him as the Red Blur after all.

*Scene*

"…Who the fuck is Sakura?" Ayame asked the television as though it would provide the answer, as would, no doubt, countless others.

By no means was Ayame shocked beyond understanding, because she was. Her hero of worship had just made an _actual _appearance and moved in motions for everyone to capture his every move. He could have appeared as a red phantom and taken out every burglar in the blink of an eye. But instead, he moved slowly enough for the cameras to record him. This had never been done before as the Red Blur had been nothing but an enigma to everyone.

And then there was the departing words and gesture. That pose, the way he presented himself, the way she _felt _that ludicrously _stupid _smile behind that armor… The Red Blur was, without a doubt, Ise-nii.

There was also the error in her name. Kirsche meant _Cherry, _which could also be translated to _Sakura. _As her name was Ayame, Issei was looking for _Iris, _which is _still _Iris in German. She wasn't sure if this was intentional to not have any links directed onto her once people began to look into it or from his lack of intelligence and researching skills. More than likely the answer was the latter.

Still, Ayame had her eyes glued to the television for the rest of the day as she watched the news blow up in shock and wonder over this incident. Most of it was just recycled garbage as they replayed the incident over and over for the next several hours, and most likely for the next few days like when his picture was captured by accident. But then, as the sun was about to set, Issei made another appearance in North America. The report was a few hours old but had finally made its way to Japan.

He flew down and stopped a high-speed chase by picking up the escaping vehicle and flipping it onto its roof in an alleyway. He made sure the news chopper was keeping an eye on him.

And then he gave the same pose and German before taking off.

Later, it would be reported he had done the same thing with similar occurrences all over the world. Stopping break-ins and being captured by street cameras, raiding drug cartels and delivering the drug lords to government offices and (once again) posing for the security camera, and then there were the other small crimes yet he took the time to stop and pose for the freaking camera. Some instances he was his usual high-speed self, only appearing as a red blur, solving the problem in less than an instant, and then making a new appearance on the opposite end of the world.

There were so many questions Ayame had for him. But right now, her hero was on duty and she could wait for him to return. He should be returning in the evening to perform his Devil duties, with the keyword being _should. _She could be patient and wait for him when the sun finally set.

And late at night, when her anticipation spiked to where she was pacing around the room, she had enough and pulled out one of the many leaflets he let her have. She prayed to it as she normally would and waited for him to arrive.

Five minutes later, the doorbell rang. The idea that he had arrived so soon rather than taking the usual half an hour didn't cross her mind. She was far too excited to care.

So when she opened the door, she didn't expect it to _not _be Ise-nii.

"Good evening little Devil worshipper~"


	4. The Face-Stealing Monster

**A note from the author!  
**

Just a few days and here's the next chapter. Originally I planned on this being the entirety of the Asia arc (and how dare you people claim I've forgotten about her!) but it began to stretch on to 13k words and I found myself BARELY halfway done. So I've decided to cut it in half. This would be part one of the chapter.

Now to answer a few things before I tackle the whole... Ayame fiasco.

First, the idea of Predators come from my original stories... which I don't really post anywhere. I have one on my fictionpress account, but it's quite outdated. So for you people asking me where you can read where Predators come from, I apologize but it won't be anytime soon. The story is something I plan on publishing in the future... whenever that will be.

Second, someone made mentioning of Issei meeting Lolifor. To that I say NO! For those of you who do not read Doll Maker (my other story on this site), Lolifor is the son of First Predator Archibald and is FREQUENTLY remarked as a pedophile by the main character, Artemis. However, Lolifor is the leader to a Fight Club-ish organization known as Legion (go watch the movie Fight Club if you don't know what I'm talking about). Except Legion is run by an oligarchy of super-perverts just as bad as Issei. Should the two meet, then without a doubt Issei will join, effectively growing their military might beyond anyone's control. Thus... other Predators would be deployed to wipe out Legion...

Third, I will be taking a break once I finish this Asia arc. Everyone keeps making mentions of DxD character and I, shamefully, admit I don't know who they are. My information comes from the anime and SOME of the wiki. I'm barely anywhere of mention in the LN... I really don't want to admit where. So I won't be writing after the next chapter until I catch up with the LN. And hopefully by then I will be able to give a plot for the story rather than using the canon storyline as a template.

Now... about... ugh... Ayame.

Seriously, I don't know what I did RIGHT. Tell me I did something wrong and I'll be able to pinpoint what it was without a problem. But I received the most amount of reviews in the last chapter compared to all my other stories. ALL OF WHICH had readers telling me to not kill her. Honestly... It makes me smile to see she was so well loved.

I should drink more often. That's right! I wrote half of that chapter DRUNK!

So in regards to what I plan on doing with her, I've already made my decision and I hope you all respect it. If not, then I welcome the flames. No really, I do. Bring it. But we really won't see what that decision was until the next chapter. So here I present to you something of a teaser to what MIGHT happen. I'll let you all come up with your own story on what I plan on doing. In the meantime, I'm going to go finish the next chapter. Hopefully that'll be up by friday before the Dark Souls DLC... or else I'll never get to it.

Thank you everyone for reading and thank you for reading this long author's note. Enjoy!

* * *

_"You were a fool to have done that," stated Sister Serene as she stood at attention while Asia packed what little she had. "But I do not blame you, nor should you blame yourself. Yours is a kind heart who only saw someone hurt."_

_ "M-Madame Serene…" Asia shut her case as she looked at her senior with a heartbroken gaze. "It's not true is it? Am… Am I really some sort of witch?"_

_ The elder gave a dispassionate gaze in return. It was not full of motherly love but at the same time it wasn't filled with any sort of malice. In regards to Asia, she was just another girl. "Only if you believe yourself to be. The Church and its teachings are those devised by man, who is run by man, and who dictate what is just according to man. God is above these. If he granted you such a blessing, then who are we to question it? God loves all his children, does he not?_

_ "Honor thy neighbor, Asia, and so you have. Love another as you would yourself, and so you have. You have followed the Words of the Lord more than those who condemn you. Do you believe yourself to be a witch?"_

_ Asia clutched her rosary close to her chest. She understood and thanked Sister Serene's words, but there was still the pit of dark, that pit of doubt she couldn't ignore. "But… why must I be excommunicated? Why must you have me exported from the country as though I've done something wrong? Sister, can you not talk to them to let me stay? I love the Church and I love being a Sister. It's breaking my heart to be forbidden from being what I love…"_

_ Serene did not move from her post to comfort the girl or to wipe away her tears. It was as though her attention was driven away by something else with the way she was looking around, always checking corners and shadows as though something were lurking within. Nonetheless, the Living Saint responded, "No one is forbidding you from your duties. Not even God Himself bears that power. The power to do such comes from you, Asia._

_ "I am sending you to Japan for your safety. The Devil you healed is a dangerous one who has eluded my attention for many a year. He will no doubt be coming back for you. This Devil has broken the virtue of many sisters and maidens alike in the name of his lust. My duties prevent me from properly protecting you, and even my words cannot sway the public from condemning you as a witch._

_ "The ticket of flight I am giving you will state you are traveling to the Americas. I've spoken with an acquaintance of mine in Los Angeles to create a distraction as though you are staying there. Hopefully our Devil will walk into the trap."_

_ "But Sister, why Japan?" asked Asia._

_ For a moment, Serene's brows twitched with slight annoyance. It could have just been a trick of the light, though Asia. Serene was the pinnacle of patience. "Because I am sending you to be under the protection of another associate of mine. One who does not have any ties to the Church, let alone any ties to any faction. He is a teenage boy who lives a normal life, but only on the surface."_

_ Again, Asia could have sworn Serene's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She could have also sworn there was something like a tick-mark twitching by her right temple. "He is a sexual deviant who has no control over his hormones whatsoever, but… I will acknowledge his pure heart to never give in to lust. I… trust him."_

_ It sounded like she had to struggle to say those last words…_

_ She went on, "He will protect you, without a doubt of my mind. So long as you stay by his side, there is nothing in this world that will threaten your existence. Once you find him, do not leave his side no matter what. Take this letter and make sure it never leaves your possession. Once you find him, give it to him. He will take care of the rest."_

_ Asia took the envelope and put it inside her robes. "When… when will I be able to return?"_

_ "…I don't know. We must leave now. Are you ready?"_

_ Asia took one last look at the small room the Church had granted her. It was possible, as it was felt through her heart, that this might be the last time she will be able to step foot here again. This was the place where she grew up. This was the orphanage that accepted her when her mother couldn't. This was her home… and she was being forced to flee from it by her mistake._

_ "…Yes, Sister. But… who is the one I am looking for once I reach Japan?"_

_ "Issei Hyoudou."_

*Scene*

Asia never met her protector. Madame Serene did state she will be alone until this Issei character revealed herself. Unfortunately, even Serene didn't know the address of her protector and only knew the name of the city he lived in. With only a name, Asia looked all over the city for the residence of her guardian. Except it came quickly to her that she had no idea how to speak Japanese, and she especially couldn't read the language. So asking anyone for directions was next to hopeless.

Plus with a few million people living in the city, there were a few dozen 'Issei Hyoudou' registered. She was looking for a needle in a haystack.

…That is until she met an exorcist by the name of Freed Sellzen.

Freed was just like her. He was deemed a genius at a young age but was kicked out of the Church for being 'too good' at his job. Just like Asia, he was branded as a heretic and forced to flee. As an exorcist, he hunted Devils, monsters, and heretics alike. His excommunication didn't stop him from performing his duties to this day. To Asia, he was nothing short of a hero in her eyes… if not a little odd with his behavior. Alas, when she asked if he knew anyone by the name of Issei Hyoudou, he denied any knowledge but decided to bring her to his current employers to see if they did.

She was brought to the ruined church and was told by Freed the destruction of the building was caused because the territory of the city was overseen by Devils. There, she met a group of Fallen Angels who had taken residence within the underground chambers of the church.

Two of them were crippled. Asia, being who she was and couldn't stand the sight of them wreathing in pain, used her Sacred Gear of Twilight Healing to rejuvenate their bodies. And, perhaps because of her kindness, God had granted her a sign. When she inquired the same question to them, both the crippled Fallen Angels knew the name of her protector.

"Stick with us for a while and I'm _sure _you'll see him," said the woman, Raynare.

…Which lead to now, a few days later from then. Freed had asked her to accompany him in an exorcism. While Asia wasn't that sort of nun like Sister Serene, it was also the Living Saint who stated it was up to Asia if she wanted to continue with her priestly duties or not. There wasn't much she could do to help. So while Freed was busy with the exorcism inside the house, Asia was occupied putting up a barrier around the outside of the house.

She wasn't so skilled in these sorts of mystic arts as some of the more practiced exorcists. But she had been taught the bare minimum as a training regimen to improve her efficiency with Twilight Healing. The barrier she put up took a good half an hour. It wasn't the most structurally fortifying one, but it could block minor spells while keeping the normal populace from noticing anything irregular from going on.

With a sigh of relief at a job well done, Asia wiped the sweat off her brow.

There was a twinkle in the sky that caught her attention. So bright and florescent it couldn't have been a star. Plus it was moving too fast to be a plane or a satellite. What could it possibly—

Her eyes widened as she quickly realized the light was growing brighter and _closer _at an alarming speed. Before she could understand what was going on, the object had crashed through her barrier, shattering it instantly. By its trajectory, it should have crashed onto the ground. But it suddenly jerked upwards before hitting the floor and burst through a window.

Asia wasn't sure what just happened.

*Scene*

Rias was growing deeply worried over her Pawn. She decided to give him some space since the Stray Devil incident, and she even excused him for ditching school the next morning, but she was worried because he didn't report on the evening. No matter how many times she tried to reach him, he wouldn't respond. She could still sense his presence within the town so could assume all was fine.

In the meantime, Rias will not be ashamed to admit that she used her resources to dig through Issei's known history. The way he reacted out of Akeno's sadism was an obvious trigger of some sort of traumatic event. It didn't take a genius to figure out it had something to do with his home, seeing as the boy lived alone. She thought about asking his two friends, but it was more than likely they wouldn't tell her anything.

It was from a police report dating three years ago that gave her a hint. The report indicated there was a burglar invading his house, stole some petty jewelry, and killed both his parents when a struggle surfaced. But if she were going off of the report then it wouldn't indicate why he had some sort of PTSD behavior. It was possible his parents were tortured before his eyes. However, when Rias tried to dig a little deeper, she couldn't find anything else.

It was as though _someone _went out of their way to conceal the evidence. Not even her Devil charms or other resources could grant her information.

She wanted to confront this with Issei. Something terrible obviously happened and someone was doing their damnest to cover it up. As his King, Rias wanted nothing more than to learn more about her Pawn. She also wanted to comfort him if he was still grieving after all these years… For three years he had no one but himself to go to.

However, the next morning when she decided to pay him a visit, she found his wards had been… improved. She could no longer teleport within his house. Akeno stated she could undo them again, but felt she wouldn't be able to _regain _Issei's trust if she did. They had no choice but to leave him in privacy. But if he continued to ignore them then Rias will have to put her foot down. Isolation was one of the worst signs of depression.

Except, in the middle of her fifth period class, Issei's signature had vanished from the town. Her worry skyrocketed as she practically ran out of the classroom. This time, she forced Akeno to undo the protections around his house and braced herself for the worst. It notably took longer than last time, a testament on how much Issei didn't want anyone to enter.

There was no one home, nor were there any clues that could explain what happened to Issei. His energy signature was last pinpointed on this spot, but then vanished in a blink. No matter how much the two of them searched, they couldn't come to any conclusion.

They did, however, find several other noteworthy articles within his house. Tags filled with intricate magic sigils and runes hidden within the walls, cases full of armored clothing, an entire room modified to be some sort of medical treatment office with shelves filled to the brim with tools, bandages, and medicines, and there was the computer receiving messages and reports left and right in almost every language known to man— all of which regarded disastrous events currently partaking around the world.

And then there was the porn. Leagues of it. As it turns out… Issei really was a pervert. This whole time Rias thought it was some brilliant façade. She wanted to believe he left it there for people to find so to continue fooling others into believing the lie. But she knew the truth. And she had to accept it…

Rias didn't know what to do. Her Pawn just vanished into seemingly nowhere and she had no leads as to where or _what. _With her options limited, and as she was tired of this _nonsense, _she gave Sona a call and demanded answers from her.

Sona replied with it was up to Issei if he wanted Rias to know. However, if Rias wanted answers, then it would be best to wait for Issei to return within a few hours. The tone Sona shared spoke that Issei's disappearance was part of a _norm._

So Rias sat on the couch and waited for Issei to return… whatever that meant. There weren't any magic signatures other than the dormant tags littering around the house, and Akeno examined them being nothing but traps for unwanted intruders. Therefore, Issei couldn't have just teleported to parts-unknown. With her Queen going back to the clubroom to explain the situation to her other Pieces, Rias waited _patiently _for her Pawn.

With the sun long setting, and with her worry starting to get the best out of her, her heart skipped a beat when Issei's signature just… _popped _back into existence. She rose from her feet as her head swiveled around in an attempt to hone in on it. Her sense picked up it was coming from the basement.

The door leading down there had opened. A less bright and wearier Issei entered the hallway and made his way towards the living room instead of the stairs or nearby bathroom. His shoulders were slumped and his clothes stuck to him from excessive sweat. He wasn't in his casual attire or school uniform; he was wearing a pair of padded armor like the kind Rias found earlier. Though he looked exhausted, there was a warm expression on his face as though he had accomplished something to be proud of.

His eyes locked on with Rias without a sign of surprise. He knew she was here, probably the whole time, which would explain why he was coming directly to the living room. "Buchou," he greeted with a small smile and a raised hand.

Immediately, Rias ran up to him and embraced him, catching him in shock. A heavy weight was lifted off her chest as she saw he was perfectly fine. "I'm so glad you're all right. You made me so worried."

"I-I'm sorry, Buchou?" Issei stuttered as he had no idea how to act in a situation like this. Here was the girl of his desires clutching on to him, pressing her breasts against him, and ready to cry for him. It was like a dream come true in his mind, but he lacked the experience to know how to progress this any further.

She broke off of him and gripped his arms firmly. Her brows creased in slight anger that made Issei think she was that much cuter. "You should be! Issei, I don't know what's going on, but _please _don't make me worry about that ever again. With the way you left us the other night… I thought… that the worst had happened to you…"

Issei was stunned into silence.

"You don't have to tell me anything… If you still don't trust me I understand… But you're my Pawn and I care about you very much, Ise. Just… let me know if you're going to do something like this again."

"Don't worry, Buchou," Issei assured her with a large grin. "You're still my master and I still owe you my life. I'm never going to leave your side. And I'm sorry for not giving you a call last night. Something really important came up that needed my full attention. But on the bright side, I finally managed to convince Aya-nee to sign a contract with me! Will you be willing to accept that as my apology?"

"Aya…-nee?" Rias blinked and broke off of Issei now that the situation had calmed down. "You mean that Nakashima girl who keeps summoning you? Well… if you _do _manage to make a pact with her then I suppose I could overlook this."

"Yosh!" Issei cheered as he pumped his fist into the air. "I've guaranteed it, Buchou! This will make my fifth contract this week!"

Behind the couches, directly at the crossroad between the hallway, living room, and kitchen, a magic circle lit up the room. Rias immediately recognized it as the Sitri summoning sigil with the unique runes surrounding it being specifically Sona's.

Seconds after, the Sitri Heiress appeared with the circle fading away. Her brows were closely pressed together and twitching through barely contained rage. Despite her obvious sign of agitation, she still stood regal and presented herself accordingly. "Rias… _Hyoudou."_

Issei blinked in confusion as to why he was being addressed like so. However, when given a moment to think it over, he came to some sort of revelation within himself. Issei gave an audible gulp as his face paled. Even Rias cocked a brow at the name. All of the familiarity between the two of them was missing, and from Issei's reaction it was clear he knew the reason why.

"S-Shitori-sempai," Issei's voice was high-pitched in almost a panic. He put his hands up pleadingly as he even took a few steps away from her. "Wait! I can explain!"

_Calmly, _and that was stretching the word beyond its definition, Sona fixed the position of her glasses with a shaking hand. "And I would _love _to hear it. I wonder what could warrant you to break all of our efforts, all our planning, all our _training _to keep your appearance as big of a secret as it was. Not just mine, but with your beloved _seniors _as well. And I _hope _you didn't do this for some _girl._"

Issei opened his mouth… but no words could come out. He began to sweat heavily as his silence was an answer of itself.

Even Rias had to wonder what Issei had done. There weren't many in existence that could gain Sona's ire. Annoyance, sure. But all Rias had been able to do was obtain her jealousy throughout the years when they were playmates. This, however, was something darker than petty jealousy. Nowhere near on par with murder intent, but Sona _really _wanted to hurt Issei.

She took a step forward to come between the two. With the fortitude of a King, Rias addressed her childhood friend, "Sona, if you have something to say against my Pawn, you're going to have to take it up with me first. Anything Issei does falls under my responsibility. So if he's wronged you in some way, then present it to me and I will determine if he deserves punishment or mercy."

"Buchou…" Issei cried tears of salvation as he was seeing Rias in a new light.

Sona stared at Rias with defiance before giving a heavy sigh of resignation. "If that's what you believe, Rias. But I told you Hyoudou Issei is a force beyond your control. He will continuously do what he wants and neither one of us have the power to stop him. If you still feel you can take responsibility for him as his King knowing this, then I'll refrain from giving him a lecture."

Issei inched close enough to Rias to latch onto her while using her as a shield. The word 'lecture' made him squirm; no doubt from some sort of traumatic memory.

Due to Issei's behavior day in and out, and not just from Sona but also from everyone else, Rias continued to fail to realize _how _he was such a danger.

"…Just what did Issei do?" she questioned anyways.

Sona's eyes transferred over from Rias over to Issei. Despite the situation, and despite how much Issei was currently terrified of the Sitri Heiress, Sona was asking Issei for permission as though the roles were reversed.

"Issei," Sona shifted the weight on her footing while wrapping her arms around her waist. "If you trust me at all, then you can trust Rias. I can vouch for her."

With reluctance, Issei gave a nod of approval.

"…She's going to find out at some point," grieved Issei as he released his grip on Rias. He moved over towards the television and flipped it on. The first channel was already on a news station, repeating the latest news of the 'Red Blur' sightings this afternoon. With no further explanation, he plopped himself onto the couch and watched.

Sona took her seat on a different couch and gestured for Rias to take a seat, who then decided to sit next to her Pawn. Neither of them shared a word and continued to watch the screen. Rias wanted to ask what this was about, but the way Sona returned her gaze said she wanted Rias to figure it out on her own.

Rias wasn't unaware of the events. What the humans called the Red Blur was also known in the Underworld community as the Red Dragon Emperor, a human who was granted the power of the Boosted Gear Sacred Gear of one of the Heavenly Dragons. It was one of the thirteen Longinus Sacred Gears with the power to potentially slay gods and the equal counterpart to the Divine Dividing Sacred Gear. For some unknown reason, the Red Dragon Emperor had been roaming around the world like some sort of hero with the White Dragon Emperor on occasion close behind yet too late to meet.

…So why were they showing this to her?

It then hit Rias like a ton of bricks. Issei had already awakened his Sacred Gear but didn't reveal to her what it was. He had been able to take on Fallen Angels. He produced a unique aura that was neither of Devil or human origin. His house was more of a small fortress filled to the brim of protections and equipment along with medical supplies. Then there was his obscure schedule of vanishing without a trace and reappearing exhausted with fatigue.

He was a force beyond her means to control…

"You…" Rias gripped the edges of her skirt as she realized what this all meant, "You're the Red Dragon Emperor?!"

"The… what?" Issei gave her a look of extreme confusion.

"Yes, he is," Sona answered and then explained to Issei. "Within the Devil community as well as every other faction out there involving our civilization, there is a legend that partook during the Great War. The Heavenly Dragons, the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon, were battling another in an endless struggle of supremecy. However, their battle tore apart the world as it was then, even getting the three factions involved with their destruction. It was then decided the three factions would temporarily stop their fights to deal with the Heavenly Dragons.

"With the Dragons then turning their sights on the factions, an even more destructive war was ensued. The result caused many Devil families to go extinct as well as similar losses to the other sides. However, the Dragons were defeated and sealed away into Sacred Gears: the Welsh Dragon sealed into the Boosted Gear and the Vanishing Dragon into the Divine Dividing Gear."

Issei leaned back as he let the information soak in. "So that's what Ddraig was…"

Sona's eyes widened. She never said the names of the Heavenly Dragons. "I-Issei… You… you knew?"

He shook his head, "No, I knew nothing about him other than his name. He and I have… an understanding. One day we'll meet again to battle once more. I doubt he'll regain his power seeing as though I've surpassed him by becoming Eighth. But thank you for telling me, Shitori-sempai. I never knew he was a dragon capable of battling all three factions together."

Sona's brows were twitching as her mouth hung open. Her face was frozen in bewilderment as his _casual comments _weighed more than anyone could possibly imagine.

Rias, however, didn't know what he meant about 'becoming Eighth'. What she did understand was that Issei was the current wielder of the Boosted Gear and _claimed _to have surpassed the Welsh Dragon. Regardless whether this was true or not, Issei was, without a doubt, someone capable of slaying _gods. _In fact, he more than likely had with his recent exploits as the Red Blur.

…And this monstrosity of _power _was her Pawn.

Now she understood what Sona had said earlier. It might also explain why Koneko behaved like she did around him.

"Buchou," Issei looked her way and snapped her out of her thoughts. His face was serious. "I'm sorry for not telling you about this. It wasn't because I didn't trust you. No, I do trust you Buchou, and not just because Shitori-sempai does. With everything that you've done for me and the way you've treated me with sincerity, I can say that I do trust you. It's just that… well… I didn't know _how _to tell you…"

"Then all is forgiven," Rias responded with a proud smile. She was astonished that her adorable Pawn was the Red Dragon Emperor, who was selfless enough to follow her despite having the power to crush her or defy her orders. He had plenty of complaints towards her during his first few days, but he obediently followed her command. Plus he also found the time out of his Devil duties to continue with his exploits as the Red Blur, appearing all over the world to save people like some sort of superhero.

"…Not that there is anything to forgive in the first place," she added quickly. "Ise, I understand why you wouldn't tell me something like this. After all… I hesitated in adding you to my peerage because I didn't know how to explain my part to a normal human. And my hesitation cost you your life. But you made me so worried with all the secrets and with the way you left us the other night… I'm sorry for prying into your life like this."

"So… I'm not in trouble?" Issei asked, almost pleaded.

Rias only smiled at the irony of this. She couldn't possibly try to match the power of a fully-awakened Red Dragon Emperor, yet Issei was the one who was treating this as though his life was in her hands. She found it cute. "So long as you make do with your promise and bring me that pact. Also, make sure to tell me when you're… slipping out. I'll not ask how you do it, but you always disappear from my senses when you do."

"Yes, Buchou!" he quickly rose to his feet. "I'll be sure to bring it back! Her wish was to meet the Red Blur and this is something I can easily grant! But I really should shower first and change…"

"However," Sona spoke up, "this doesn't settle the matter that you revealed yourself to the populace. Not only that, but you gave them a sort of clue to be able to track you down. It was stupid of you to choose a location in Japan first. This isn't something that can be covered up. Since I can't say anything further, I'll not lecture you any further. However, I'll not be trying to persuade Rolan once he tries to get in contact with you."

All manner of joy shattered within Issei. Nothing but fear and dread remained. "…Rolan-sempai is going to kill me."

Rias tilted her head and was about to ask who that was, but a shake from Sona gestured for her to not. The Gremory Heiress sighed and decided it was probably for the best. Issei had already revealed a critical point of his secrets. It was more than enough for tonight and he can tell her when he feels comfortable enough.

Sona sighed when she saw the sight of a grieving Issei. "…I'll send him a message to try and calm him down. The last thing we want is for him to _personally _show up in Japan."

Within the blink of an eye, Issei all but teleported in front of Sona, clasped her hands between his, and shed heavy tears. "S-S-Shitori-sempaaaaaaiiiiiiii~"

"…I'll need to use your computer then," she tried to pry her hands away, but to no avail.

But Issei eventually let go and stood. He gave her a large smile. "Sure, sure. Go right ahead and make yourself at home. Ah, you too, Buchou. Sona knows where everything is so just ask her if you want anything. If you don't mind, I'll be taking a shower before going to the clubroom."

"Well then," Rias returned the smile, crossed her legs, and got comfortable. "I'll just wait for you right here and we can walk back together."

*Scene*

Ayame refused to scream. She refused to give in to the twisted fetish of her torturer. When the so-called priest stormed through her front door, she did everything in her power to struggle against him. But that's all it was: her struggling. She had nothing to defend herself with and the man was an obvious fighter with the way he was able to toss her around so easily. But she refused to give up. She needed to survive.

If she could just last a few minutes, her hero will come to save her. She had used the summoning sigil to call Issei. He will be here in a matter of minutes and he will save her.

So she refused to scream when the priest tore off her clothes. Refused to scream when he drove stakes through her hands to pin her against the wall. Refused to scream as he carved so-called angelic runes into her flesh. Refused to scream as she was being skinned alive so expertly as to keep her conscious for as long as possible with the minimum amount of blood loss and maximum amount of pain. She may have shed tears, she may have groaned, may have blanked out a few times from the pain, but she refused to give in to disparity and scream.

Because Ise-nii will be here to save her. To stop the villain.

"My, oh my, how have you grown since my last visit."

Her eyes widened in horror as the priest's voice was no longer his own. This wasn't the voice he spoke with since the front door and through the insults of calling her a heretic and Devil worshipper. The priest's voice was once high-pitched and exaggerated. But this? This was deep, sinister, sickening, _hungry._

This was the voice belonging to the _monster _who stole her father's face and killed her mother.

And as she looked around the ridges of his chin, she could see the difference in skin pigment. This same monster was wearing someone else's face. Once realizing this, the monster's illusion broke. He wasn't the slim fitting priest with silver hair. He was the gluttonous blob of pure fat and standing almost seven feet tall. The face of the priest's was stretched over his, and without the illusion present she could see the face was long rotten. Who knows how long he's been imposing as this priest?

Her heart stopped beating for an instant. Her body convulsed out of fear. The pain meant nothing compared to this. This wasn't just some exorcist coming to punish her for selling her soul to Lucifer.

This was a demon returning to finish the job he started three years ago.

Now, more than ever, she fought for her survival. Her body jerked to try to break free from her restrains, causing the wounds to open wider as her hands were being torn apart. But within the back of her mind, within the deepest of her core, she knew the truth.

She was going to die.

So as this demon continued to laugh and carve out her flesh, she shut her eyes and did what she had sworn to never do again. She prayed. Not to God. Not to Lucifer. She prayed to Ise-nii. Prayed he would arrive. Prayed he would save her from her greatest nightmare. Save her from the thing that robbed her of her life and made her what she was today. Save her from absolute destruction.

She prayed with all her heart and soul that he would come bursting through.

"Oh, that's what I'm hoping for," replied the face-stealing monster through a knowing smile; _knowing _what she was praying for. He picked up another dagger forced out of pure light. The illusion came back as he was once more the slim priest. He even spoke with his high-pitch voice.

"Let's put a smile on that face~"

*Scene*

After a quick rinse, Issei climbed back down the stairs in his school uniform ten minutes after his excusal. Perhaps it was because of his powers as a Devil, but ever since the sun set he felt ready to take on the world all over again. Not that he really would. He was still pretty tired and wasn't in the mood to challenge greater threats. At the least he was more than capable of fulfilling his duties as a Devil.

His smile lit up the room upon his entry. Aya-nee was going to be so happy!

Rias was sitting on the couch, continuing to watch the television in wonder. The news was _still _showing footage of his most recent expeditions and trying to go into details on who might be Kirche. He assumed she was so glued on the screen because she now knew who he was. She was probably trying to learn more about him. Issei didn't mind. He trusted her. If she asked, then he'll be more than happy to elaborate a little further.

Meanwhile, Sona had her brows knitted as she typed away on the dining table. Every now and then she would pause, delete what she wrote, fix her glasses, and start again. All the while sipping from the tea she just brewed. He could see the frustration written all over her face.

Well, it was a broad task. She was trying to appeal to Sixth Predator Rolan. Rolan-sempai was the first Predator Issei had met and introduced him to the network the Sixth created. It's what Issei used to this day to keep in touch with most of his Sempai when he needed something. Rolan was also the one who gave him frequent advice on keeping his identity a secret. Issei secretly believed Rolan was a huge comic-geek with some of the advice given.

However… Rolan-sempai was known for his anger issues. Rumor has it he's destroyed an entire civilization so thoroughly that history _can't _recall what it was… just because they pissed him off. While Issei didn't know anything about that, he could confirm that the Sixth Predator _would _kill anyone if they angered him enough. And, to this day, there are three things that Rolan hates above everything else.

First, the sun. Issei couldn't fathom why. Second, humanity as a whole. And third, Japan.

By no means did it mean Rolan hated the Japanese people. He even stated to have enjoyed their culture and respected their principles (though he still hated them anyways because they were _people_). He specifically hates Japan as a landmark because, quote, 'the weirdest shit only happens in Japan'.

Issei wanted to argue. But then he realized Rolan-sempai would argue Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels only made an appearance in Japan (which, so far, was true). Plus there was that Holy Grail War in Fuyuki. The Reapers' Game in Shibuya. The massive sleeping spell casted on Karakura Town in order to hide a war between spiritual beings. That Kusanagi God Slayer guy in Tokyo who's always destroying stuff. The giant mechs and monsters that seem to come out of seemingly nowhere. Alien invasions. The Monster Academy…

Wow. Rolan might have been on to something.

Whenever Rolan had a job that partook in Japan or was of relations to Japan, the jobs were typically shoved into Issei's arms. The mercenary even gave him a little more than the actual income to have it done. He just hated Japan that much.

So if Rolan had to make an appearance in Japan that could not be avoided… then there might be a city, or two, or a third of the country destroyed by the time he leaves.

It was understandable that Sona was frustrated and was starting over now and then. She even pulled out a notepad and jotted ideas down. The message had to be perfect to sway Rolan from paying a visit. The fate of some several million Japanese depended on it.

"Are you okay, Shitori-sempai?" Issei asked out of concern.

Sona took the moment to sip her tea once more to clear her thoughts. All manner of hostility was gone from her now as she was more so distracted by her frustration in composing the letter. Luckily, she responded to him in the friendly (if not stern) tone. "I'll be fine. If you don't mind, I'll be staying here for a bit until I finish this. Tsubaki can manage my peerage for tonight. Right now I'm going over the messages Siegfried, Philips, and Rolan sent within the last few hours. Besides the usual from Philips, there are questions from Siegfried and… Rolan has already threatened to come to Japan…"

Issei's worst fears were just one shy step away from coming true.

"T-Take all the time you need," Issei stuttered.

"Well Issei," Rias approached him, "are you ready to go?"

"Yes, Buchou," he nodded and then turned back to Sona. "Thank you very much Shitori-sempai. I really owe you for this one."

"Oh you owe me big time," she muttered while going back to work.

With nothing else, Issei and Rias left the Hyoudou residence as they made their way back to the school. Issei said she could have teleported back while he flew there. Secretly he was tempted to know which would be faster: his Gift of Flight or her magic circle. However, she shook her head and said she wanted to spend the night walking side-by-side like they had on that one school day morning.

"Ise," she broke the silence after walking a few blocks. "Will you one day tell me everything?"

"Of course, Buchou," he assured with a smile. "You're my master so it's only fair you know what's going on."

She returned his smile, but hers was filled with a bit of sorrow. "…Does this mean you acknowledge me as your King?"

His smile faltered slightly. He knew what she was referring to. On that day when he fought against that male Fallen Angel (whose name he can't recall), when she arrived to save him, he had made known to her that he didn't trust her and he will determine in time whether she was worthy of being called his 'King' and 'Master'. Now, after spending the last two weeks with her, getting to know her, and sensing her true intentions had been pure unlike _Yuuma's, _his opinion of her has changed.

However… could he, Eighth Predator, acknowledge her as his better?

"I don't know," was his answer. "I say you are my master and King the same way you say I am your Pawn and Devil of the Gremory House. I will always serve you and follow your every order. I know you mean well while everything you do is for the sake of protecting us and at the same time letting us grow on our own. You worrying about me so much made me happy, because I've found someone who genuinely cares for me.

"I didn't trust you at first because… well, I had fallen in love with that Fallen Angel. I knew she was never honest, but she was the first girl to actually acknowledge me. Even Shitori-sempai doesn't take the time to be my friend. Sure she helps me whenever she can… but we don't know anything about each other. Yuuma— I mean, Raynare, gave me her time. Our time may have been fake, but… it was still a good memory. And even though I knew it was all a lie, it still hurt in the end.

"I thought you were going to be just like her. I'm just so glad that you weren't. But… there's something else. Another secret of mine that I can't tell you just yet. I think it's why Shitori-sempai is so… distant with me. I always sense she's terrified of me whenever I'm around. Buchou, I don't want you to be like that. So, I acknowledge you as my master as I am a Devil. But I am something else before I am a Devil of the Gremory House. Please understand."

Rias was quiet as she thought it over. He could feel the amount of conflict stirring within her; a cross between curiosity, confusion, and skepticism. But within the back of her mind was acceptance. She was piecing together the little clues he slipped over and knitting a story of her own. He doubted she'll be able to find the truth, but she'll be able to form a story to curb her curiosity. When the time comes, when they got to know each other a little bit better, then he will reveal to her as Eighth Predator.

And by then he will determine whether or not she would be worthy of being his master.

Further conversation was cut off when Issei's phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and recognized it as Aya-nee's house number. He laughed to himself as she was no doubt growing impatient. She's probably tried to summon him a few times by now.

*Scene*

…Why was he taking so long? How long has she been like this? Flipped upside-down with the blood rushing to her head to keep her conscious? The pain was intolerable. The tears couldn't stop falling as her fears were getting the best of her. It was eating away at her hope. She was just a few feet away from the worst monster ever in existence and still her hero hadn't arrived.

Where was he? Why hadn't he answered her prayers?

She was beginning to realize the monster was growing impatient. The torture session had concluded a while ago and she was left pinned to the wall to slowly bleed to death. Rather, she should have been dead. Yet he must have done _something _to her in order to keep her alive. She needed to be alive. But what for? Because the monster _wanted _Issei here.

Because Issei was just like her, in almost every way. Issei was alone, she already knew this. But she never learned what happened to his parents just in the same way she never told him what happened to hers. They lived by themselves, had no one at their side who could possibly understand their pain, and were forced to continue living without a reason.

Because, like Ayame, Issei had his parents stolen from him by the same monster.

When Ayame realized this, she tried just as hard to pray to Issei to stay away. To save _himself. _She didn't want him in front of the very thing that destroyed his life.

"Argh…" groaned the monster through the priest's voice. "This is becoming such a drag! Oh! Wait! I gots an idea!"

Ayame flinched when he jumped off the couch and ran towards her, making her pain spike up. But his attention wasn't on her. It was towards the phone hanging on the wall over the counter. Picking it up, he punched in a phone number and pushed the receiver to her ear.

_"Sorry Aya-nee," _Issei answered the phone after a few rings. Her heart stopped. _Why _did this monster have his number?! _"I'm heading first to the clubroom to report and then I'll be on my way. I should be—"_

"Ise-nii," her voice was raspy and dry. She could hardly hear herself and it hurt so much to say anything. But she was desperate. "Stay away."

_Click._

The monster pulled the phone away and turned off the receiver. With his twisted smile which split his dead mask, he put the receiver down onto the counter, knelt down, and gave her a gentle pat on the cheek.

"Now the little shit-stain Devil will be coming for sure~"

*Scene*

Issei stopped breathing. All time seemed irrelevant for him as his world was spinning. Rias was trying to get his attention, but she currently didn't exist. Even if she were to smack him around a few times he wouldn't be able to feel a thing.

He heard pain coming from Ayame. Pain, despair, agony, desperation, hopelessness…

…Someone who was on the verge of death.

Something primal stirred within Issei at that moment. Something deep within his core like a roaring fire threatening to destroy everything in its path. Like a _dragon _charging against its cage to be let loose. Whatever it was, it made Issei's blood boil in blood lust.

With no thought whatsoever on his actions, the Gift of Flight activated and Issei was launched to the skies in a flash. He arched over the city, flying at Mach speeds yet his wings would not produce a sonic boom. Without hesitation, he honed in on Ayame's house and charged straight for it.

He crashed through something; perhaps a trap or perhaps a wall to keep outsiders away, it mattered not to him. Instantly, he flew in through the kitchen window, shattering it upon his arrival. He flew over the counter and came to a complete stop at the direct center of the living room. His senses were on full alert and quickly ascertained his surroundings.

Seated on one of the couches was a young man about a year or two older than him with silver hair, red eyes, and pale skin. He was dressed in a white shirt, slacks, combat boots, and a long overcoat. Absolutely nothing but hostility radiated out of him.

The other… made Issei pale. Ayame was stripped of her clothing, nailed to the wall with large screws drilling through her hands and feet, and hung upside-down like some sort of perverse crucifix. She was covered in blood with her flesh full of fresh wounds made to avoid any arteries or vitals.

Their eyes met. Ayame, who could barely see, could recognize him nonetheless. Her face contorted to one of woe and heartbreak. "Ise-nii…" her voice could hardly be heard. "…Why…?"

That primal feeling from before shook harder. Something within Issei was ready to snap. His fists clenched enough for his nails to dig into his skin and draw blood. There was nothing but red in his vision as his eyes returned back towards the stranger.

"…Did you do this?" his teeth chattered with rage.

He unfolded his legs and sprung to his feet like some sort of entertainer with the way he flourished his movements. The smile he gave Issei spoke of a man who was in absolute bliss. "Yes, yes! So I did! Becaaaauuuuuse, she was a regular criminal who has been summoning Devils. So an example had to be made, I'm sure a shit-_tastic _Devil like you must understand!"

That primal feeling lunged once more. It was enough to make Issei's body visibly shake.

"My name is Freed Sellzen," continued the stranger as he gave an exaggerated bow like a stage performer. "I'm a priest~ A boy priest~ I cut down Devil-like people and I laugh at them~ I cut the head of you Devils, and I receive my meal~"

"…Why?" something more of a feral growl came out of Issei instead of human speak.

Freed's smile grew, wide enough to split his face in half. "That's not a bad look, but it lacks the murderous intent I'm looking for. But you ask why?! What the fuck is with that shit? Listen carefully, you shitty Devil. Devils use humans' greed to survive. Relying on a Devil proves you are no longer a human. It's the end. That's why I did this to her~ I make a living by killing Devils and hunting heretics! That's my job. After all, I belong to a certain exorcism organization."

Issei had enough. Kicking off the ground, he charged at Freed, tackling him from the waist, and driving him out of the house. They broke through the glass slide door until they fumbled around on the ground and broke off.

"That's more like it!" Freed rolled back onto his feet and pulled out a bladeless sword and a pistol. Clicking a button on the sword, a beam of light sprouted from the hilt and extended for three feet.

Issei roared out in pure rage as he charged once more at Freed, not caring or perhaps unable to tell his senses were warning him of the dangers both weapons presented.

"There's still life in the old lady yet!" Freed sang as he began to dance around Issei.

*Scene*

Asia screamed in horror when she came in to check on Freed. She was worried ever since that unknown object came crashing through her barrier. But, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Pinned to the wall, drowning in her blood, was a little girl.

Asia couldn't believe Freed would do such a thing. She felt so sick she wanted to pass out. But, from just a small glimmer of movement, she saw that the girl was still breathing. Which meant she was still alive!

She ran to her and immediately began to use Twilight Healing. But the damage was so excessive she wasn't sure if she was able to make it in time or not. There was also so much blood loss. Still, Asia refused to let this girl die like this. Heretic or not, no human deserved to die like this. This was not God's way.

Sweat began to pour from her brow as she realized she was putting in a lot more effort into healing than normal. It was as though something within the girl was purposely slowing down the healing process…

*Scene*

"Come on!" Freed roared as he delivered a knee to Issei's torso. "I'm at half-mast! I _need _this!"

Issei made a mistake and had to take that blow. But his draconian resistance allowed him to quickly recover and bounce back into action. However, because of his rage, he was just moving more like an animal than an actual fighter. He wasn't assuming either the Assaulter or Defender stances. Freed was able to avoid any of his blows and deliver many of his own.

This was a losing battle. That feeling from within kept demanding to be released. Issei was so far driven with pure rage to put any means of a strategy together. He was only listening to his instincts, which were greatly conflicted at the moment between killing Freed and saving Ayame. Both were just as powerful as the other.

Issei could not multiply his potential. To do so would let the restraint loose; a very thin and fragile chain that was ready to break at the smallest disturbance. To do so would have him forcibly enter the Balance Breaker armor. And should that happen, he _knew _he would lose himself and rampage. As Eighth Predator, he was more than capable of destroying the entire country if going all-out.

If he were to do that, then Ayame would surely die in the crossfire.

But, what he didn't understand, Freed was able to match his base abilities. As more of a humanoid dragon than a Devil, Issei was far more powerful than any human should have been. Yet Freed was able to match his every move, even surpass him. He only had to use that saber and gun to distract Issei. His fists and kicks hurt a lot more.

"Why don't you summon up your demons, shitty Devil?!" Freed cursed in outrage. "Hit me! Fight me! Kill me! GIVE ME A HUG!"

Issei overextended his fist when he was trying to bash in Freed's skull. The exorcist instead dodged, grabbed onto his forearm, and spun on his heels to throw Issei over his shoulder.

And back inside the house.

Issei crashed through both sofas and slammed his head on the counter before coming to a stop. Before he could spring back to his feet, Reed's saber flew through the air and stabbed straight through his shoulder, effectively pinning him down. Issei roared out in pain, but it only drove him to get up faster.

However, Freed had crossed through the great distance within the blink of an eye and slammed his foot onto Issei's face, slamming him hard against the wall.

"Father Freed?!" came the voice of a girl.

"Well if it isn't my little assistant, Asia-chan," chuckled Freed. At first he didn't pay her any mind and found driving his foot into Issei much more entertaining. But then, his eyes narrowed as he noticed what she was doing to Ayame's body. "Just… what do you think you're doing?"

Issei was able to get a little at what was happening. His eyes widened as all his rage subsided at the sight. The blonde-haired girl his age, Asia, was kneeling before Ayame with her hands glowing with green light. He was able to sense powerful magic radiating out of twin rings on her fingers. And when he gazed hard enough, he could see the wounds placed onto Ayame were gradually closing.

Ayame was being healed!

"Well that's just plain _stupid,_" Freed clicked his tongue. "Are you blind, girl? Do you not see the runes I carved into her? They disrupt magic of all kind. Besides," he licked his lips as he cackled aloud, "I put a little something _extra _in her to make sure she'll die without the antidote. A little ticking time-bomb, if you will. Tick, tock, tick, _tock!_"

"Please!" Issei shouted at the girl. "If you can heal her, save her! Get her out of here and run!"

Freed lifted his foot and slammed it back down hard enough for the wall to cave in. "Shut up you shitty Devil! No one gives a rat's ass about what the fuck you have to say about some whore of a heretic!"

Issei caught Freed's foot before it was about to come down a second time, but then the exorcist _retched _his sword free, opening a large wound on Issei's shoulder. He then pierced it straight down again on the opposing shoulder. In pain, Issei let go of the boot, which was then used to slam onto his head again.

Suddenly, the kicking stopped.

"Father Freed, that's enough!" a determined Asia jumped to her feet and tried to shove Freed off of Issei. All she managed to do was make him stumble back off balance, but he kept his footing.

"Hey, hey," Freed's voice became low and dangerous. "Are you serious? Asia-tan, do you know what you're doing?"

She almost faltered. But she returned the gaze with one of her own. "…I do. Father Freed, I beg you. Please forgive these people and let them go. You can't kill people just because they are entranced to a Devil and you also can't kill Devils. We are all God's children! It's wrong!"

Freed's face was expressionless as his perverse grin had fell. He stared at Asia with cold fury.

Without warning, his hand latched out at her and gripped around her neck. She gasped but choked as she was lifted off the ground. His eyes became wide with crazed fury.

"See, I can't kill you. At least not yet. But I'm getting a bit pissed. Because _some little shit _won't kill me even if his whore of a friend is dying! So if I can't kill you, then I think I'm going to just rape you. If I don't, I won't be able to heal my heart."

Issei roared out in fury. He couldn't take anymore. With his weakened left arm, he gripped the handle of the light sword and tried to pry it free. He shifted his weight to press against the wall. The pain coming from the light was making his head spin, but it was his rage that was driving him further. He needed to save them both. He needed to rescue Ayame and Asia from this madman.

By the time Freed had returned his attention to Issei, the Pawn had pulled himself free and was slashing at Freed with his own weapon. Freed dropped Asia and put his gun in front to deflect the blow. In that instant of rebound force, Issei put his foot down and forced his weight to shift forward. With the Assaulter stance, he delivered a powerful straight punch into Freed's gut.

The exorcist spat from the force and was thrown back outside. He bounced once, flipped into his feet, and slid across the lawn. His smile intensified as he pulled out a second pistol out of his coat.

"And we're back in business!" he laughed.

However, Issei dropped the sword and gripped his shoulder. The second wound was much worse than the first, even when the first had a larger hole. As a Devil, light was poisonous to his kind and it ate away at flesh like acid. It was impaled into his right shoulder far longer than it was in his left, thus the toxicity of the light weapon spread far. He could barely feel anything in his right arm and it was difficult to move it.

His only option was to flee. If he continued fighting then there was the chance he would activate Balance Breaker. As he was now, there was something rampaging within him _demanding _to be unleashed. If he were to use even the smallest fragment of his Sacred Gear, then that tiny gap will open into a trench, letting the power flood over him. He'll lose his mind and destroy everything in his wake.

"Please," he said to the Asia girl. "Take her and get her out of here. Please save her. I'll cover you. Just… please…"

He had no right to ask this stranger. But it was his only option; his only hope. He would never be able to live with himself if Ayame died. What good it would be then to have all this power, to be recognized as Eighth Predator, if he couldn't protect her?

Asia was breathing heavily after being choked. But she had heard him, had heard his desperation. With resolve, she nodded her head and moved quickly to try and pry the screws out.

That left Issei to charge forward, crossing the distance faster than humanly possible. Impossibly, Freed charged forward at the same speed and met him halfway. Once again, the two clashed, exchanging blows that would have killed any normal person. But Issei's tired body was getting the best of him. It was slowing him down and the pain was starting to become more of a distraction than a drive like how it used to be.

To be blunt, Freed was smacking him around.

With two light bullets firing _into _his shoulder wounds, Issei stumbled forward as the pain shook him beyond his control. It was more than enough for Freed to spin around and deliver and axis kick to his jaw, fierce enough to send Issei flying off his feet.

"Well this is no fun," groaned the exorcist. "Well fuck. YOU'RE NOT EVEN TRYING TO KILL ME! Do you not want the antidote?!" To show he was serious, Freed pulled out a small vial filled with black liquid. On the surface of the glass were runes and sigils of all kinds with a special clasp sealing it tight. "It'll only open if you kill me, which you won't! Fine! If you're not going to kill, then I might as well!"

A flick of his hand whiplashing around at blinding speeds, Freed had reached into his coat and flung a series of smaller light swords…

…Towards Ayame and Asia, their trajectory traveling too fast for Issei to hope to deflect at his current limit.

But still Issei tried. He flipped over to his feet and bolted at the daggers, trying to cut them off. Unfortunately, there was no hope he could have made it. He wouldn't have made it unless he doubled his potential at least three times. So even if he activated it once, it wouldn't have been enough anyways.

Asia had seen what Freed was trying to accomplish. Without any further thought, Asia shifted her body to completely shield herself in front of Ayame. The daggers would pierce only her, but without her it was more than likely Ayame would die.

A flash of light lit up the night.

With the swing of steel, the five daggers were deflected. But it wasn't over as the figure charged forward out of the light faster than Issei and Freed had been moving. With a sword in his grip, Kiba Yuuto crossed the distance in an instant and swung with all his might.

"Well, shit," Freed had just enough time to say before Yuuto made his move. The sword came down like a shooting star. Blood and clothes fluttered through the air, but Freed was able to dodge in time with only a skin-deep cut running down his chest.

"Hyoudou-kun, we came to rescue you," Yuuto raised his sword in preparation should Freed try anything further.

Issei spared a glance back towards the living room. The light was coming from a magic circle! And stepping out of it were his teammates.

"…H-Hyoudou?" asked Asia.

"Ara, this is awful," stated Akeno… with her usual smile.

"…Priest," Koneko stated with obvious disgust as her eyes locked on to Freed's location.

Issei felt like he wanted to cry. He wanted to give in right then and there and just cry his heart out. But he couldn't, not yet anyways. "Buchou! Akeno-oneesama! Please get Ayame out of here!"

"Yeah, like _fuck _I'm letting that happen!" Freed tossed one gun away and exchanged it for another light sword and charged towards the group.

Yuuto intercepted instead. "Sorry, but we're part of a package. If you're going to mess with one of us then you get all of us!"

"Oh ho?!" laughed Freed as he licked his lips. "A mere Devil concerned about their comrade? What are you guys? Devil Squadron, the Devil Rangers? That's nice. I can feel the heat. I'm getting turned on! So how is it? Are you the one sticking it in, and is he the one bending? It makes sense seeing as so far he's just a little _pussy. _So you guys in that kind of relationship?"

They broke off of their engagement when Freed saw the flash of lightning. His jump was so fierce it created a hole in the ground. Akeno's lightning had missed as he _flickered _away faster than he had before. It was as though he was holding back the entire time against Issei.

"…What a vulgar mouth," Akeno stepped outside to join them. Though she was smiling, Issei could feel her eyes glaring absolute death upon the exorcist. "It's hard to believe you're a priest. That's why you're a Stray Exorcist, right?"

"Ooo!" Freed wiggled around as he embraced himself. "Those eyes! I like those passionate eyes. I can feel your urge of wanting to kill me. I love the feeling of intending to kill and getting intended to kill! You should seriously teach the little shit how to do it!"

"…I'll gladly do it by making you disappear!"

Freed blinked as a _wave _of crimson and black was coming at him, twice as fierce as Akeno's lightning bolt. He put up his blade of light to shield himself. The wave came crashing down on him and exploded upon contact, tearing apart the field and blowing away the nearby fence.

Rias lowered her hand as the cackling of power died down. She and Koneko stepped over the broken glass to come outside. The Gremory's eyes were narrowed through anger. "I make sure I never forgive those who harm my servants. I especially can't forgive a lowlife like you damaging my personal possessions."

Everyone tensed as Rias' demonic energy began to radiate around her body. Lights and flickers of red energy swirled around her.

She didn't suppress her energy because Freed was far from dead. With a swing of his sword, he dispersed the remaining energy and dust around him. His clothes were torn to shreds and his body was full of burns and bleeding. But he still stood tall and kept his smile.

"…I like a girl with a pretty mouth," he cackled while spitting blood. "I personally think it's better when it's full of something _thick _though. Makes it so they don't _talk. _Too bad yours isn't so pretty. But then again, most of your_ charm _is only in your tits."

Rias did not react to him. Instead, she addressed Issei without taking her eyes off of the exorcist. "Ise, are you hurt?"

"…I'm fine Buchou," he ground out. "But we need to get Aya-nee out of here. I… I can feel malevolent intent heading our way."

Rias frowned as her brows creased. She didn't know what he meant.

"He's right, Buchou," Akeno enforced his words. "Many Fallen Angels are heading this way right now. At this rate we'll be at a disadvantage."

Issei wobbled on his feet, but he bit his lip to drive him further. He needed to get Ayame and Asia out of here. Ayame will die if she remains here and Asia shouldn't belong to the Fallen Angel faction.

…If he could use Balance Breaker this wouldn't be a problem.

Asia had been able to take out the screws and lie Ayame down onto the floor. She was busy using her Sacred Gear to heal her. But Asia was starting to sweat and the healing was progressing at a crawl. Ayame meanwhile had her breathing slowing down as time went on. Her complexion was beyond pale and she was fighting with every being of herself to stay conscious. If she slipped into slumber she will more than likely die there.

"Akeno," Rias gave the command, "prepare for the teleportation. We will return to our headquarters. Yuuto, Koneko, we're going to cover Akeno and protect Issei."

"Yes Buchou," they all said.

Freed snarled and launched himself forward at a speed that surpassed his original, "FOR FUCK'S SAKE IF I LET YOU!"

Yuuto had been able to intercept and cross blades, but the force of Freed's charge made him slide back with his heels digging into the ground. Koneko was on his flank immediately, twirling through the air to deliver a sideways kick. Freed barely had enough time to put up his arm to defend. Something cracked as he was blown away. He fumbled on the floor, flipped back onto his feet, and clutched his broken arm.

…And was then blown away further by another black and crimson blast from Rias.

"Buchou!" Akeno shouted as the magic circle lit up the area. "The circle is ready for us to jump!"

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT!" roared Freed as he blew away the smokescreen caused by Rias' latest attack. He was bleeding heavily with most of the surface of his skin burnt. But, before their very eyes, the open wounds began to knit itself closed while the burnt flesh regenerated.

Flicking his shattered arm out like a whip, it clacked and snapped like a coil. Yet, somehow, the broken limb had come back into place and repair itself. Now with both hands, he gripped the light sword.

His dripping blood flew off his body and cycled around his light sword. The white radiance turned rancid with his crimson blood.

"If you won't kill me, _Dragon Rider, _THEN I'LL JUST HAVE TO KILL EVERYONE ELSE HERE!"

Impossibly, as fast as Issei when doubling his potential to five times, Freed lashed his arm out in a wide swing. The velocity should have torn his muscles, crushed his bones, and ruptured his veins. The blood mixing in with the light was fired out in a large arc, wide enough to splice through the entire yard and then some in one fell swoop. By Freed's might, the crimson arch was traveling across the short distance like a missile.

**"Balance Breaker!"**

But Issei could _never _allow that. He let that small chain keeping his sanity shatter. And he prayed, to God, to Lucifer, to _anybody, _that those he cared about would survive by his actions. His armor manifested as he was moving to protect those he cared for. And he could feel himself slowly slipping away, as though his entire being were being compressed into a ball and locked away inside a box.

His vision became a mixture of black, red, and white as true carnage overran his mind. Pure hatred fueled his body and drove it beyond his control. Nothing but the primal instinct to **kill **coursed through his veins. All other feelings, all other thoughts, all other _memories _were lost. The existence that is Hyoudou Issei was gone in this moment.

Nothing remained but a beast.

With the Gift of Flight shooting him forward at a greater speed than the attack, it wouldn't be a mistake to say the Red Blur _teleported _in front of the group. As his wings can cross through Space itself, matters such as distance and resistance were irrelevant. Therefore, he appeared before the attack with more than plenty of time to spare.

Spreading his arms out, the Red Blur continued to charge forward. The wave of light and blood crashed onto his armor, creating a seismic shock by the sheer _force _of the impact. It was enough to blow Yuuto off his feet, Koneko to put her arms up in defense, and Rias to fall onto her rear. But let it be known even with the scales of a dragon, it does not protect a Devil from the rays of a light-based attack. The chest plate cracked like fiber glass and the damage was able to pierce through.

But it did not halt the dragon one moment. Nothing save a truly decisive blow could have stopped him. Without a fragment of pause, the Red Blur brought its right fist up and swung it straight at the startled exorcist.

"…Ise-nii."

The dragon fist slammed directly onto the exorcist's face. The sound of thunder struck by the blow. Rather than shattering into a mist of blood and bone as he should have, Freed was launched through the air at incomprehensible speeds. His body crashed through several telephone poles and power lines and continued to travel until it began to descend.

...Leaving everyone alone with a now rampageous beast.

The Red Blur clutched its claws close to its head, tensing and bending its knees as though ready to launch itself in either pursuit or to take to the skies to bring indiscriminate destruction throughout the city. Its body shook in uncontrollable rage. The sound of primeval growling could be heard from behind the helm.

"Issei…" Rias tried to reach him but her instincts were screaming at her to get as far away from him as possible. But she refused to abandon her Pawn. She could never call herself a King if she let Issei lose himself. She could tell this transformation was different from the one she's seen on television. Where the Red Blur was humanoid, the one standing before her was that of an animal. Something not too far off from a Stray Devil.

She felt her blood freeze when the gaze of _hatred _turned her way. Nobody moved as they were all petrified by the stare of one who could kill them all in an instant. Truly… Issei was a force beyond her means to control.

"Ise-nii," called Ayame once more.

The Red Blur twitched violently, as though fighting between pouncing for the kill or to keep steady. Perhaps it _was_ fighting itself. Slowly, almost painfully with the way its head jerked unnaturally, it turned its head back towards the house.

**"A…ya…n…ee…"**

With her head turned to see her hero, Ayame struggled to keep her breathing. Her tears had long ran dry, but her face was twisted in pain. Not of her own, but for seeing what her hero was becoming. "…Don't…"

The Red dragon stared at the wounded and dying girl. It was as still as a statue as though all life seemed to vanish within. Nobody dared to move; else the smallest disturbance could trigger its wrath.

But something else caught its attention. It turned its body around and gazed up towards the stars. There, hidden with the backdrop of the dark night, flew a pack of Fallen Angels, just hovering high above their heads and peering down on them. The Red Blur sensed their malevolence, their innate desire to kill their enemies. It mattered not of they were currently terrified of the sight of him; within their cores was still the hatred for the Devils.

That tiny flame of ill-intent was more than enough to mark them as a threat. And threats needed to be crushed.

The Red Blur _roared. _Its voice alone created a shockwave in which shattered glass for miles around. The Gremory peerage was forced onto their knees and cover their ears. Akeno nearly lost her control over keeping the magic circle active. Some Fallen Angels nearly lost their control of flight and dropped a few feet before gathering their senses again.

Its wings blazed bright enough to blind those who dared to gaze upon them. Its legs curled up as it prepared to leap up at them. Pointless as the wings of a Dragon Lord could transport him to any distance at any speed at any instant of the user's choosing. But nothing remained of cognitive thought save the inner desire to **kill **any and all threats. Anything that so much had a _flicker _of dark intent needed to be destroyed. And as humanity will always have this innate feeling, then by all means should the threat that is humanity be destroyed.

Because anything that may threaten those he cares for must be eliminated. Such was the last thought of the one formerly known as Hyoudou Issei.

"Ise-nii," Ayame called one last time. Her breathing was becoming more tired and her eyes threatened to collapse into slumber.

Impossibly, as nothing remained of his human nature, the beast did not lunge to claim his kill. Instead, it shook violently as it grabbed its head, roaring in another atrocious volume out of sheer agitation. It was battling with its own nature, trying to suppress its desire to kill in order to protect. Yet, by just the insignificant voice of a little girl, was this beast conflicted to proceed what it was designed to fulfill.

**"Aya…**nee…"it said a bit more clearly, shifting between the voice of the dragon and Hyoudou Issei.

In a flash, it appeared before the two girls still residing within the house. Asia gasped as he all but teleported in front of her. With the gentlest of care as the slightest wrong move could shatter her into dust, the draconic being lifted Ayame into his arms. She winced in pain, which caused the Red Blur to stir in alarm. But, perhaps through some sort of paternal instinct, it remained gentle.

However, it saw Asia still kneeling on the floor. No one could say what crossed the mind of the beast at this point. But it saw something within Asia that could not be ignored. Something that was needed for Ayame's survival.

Asia gave a squeal of surprise when the Red Blur plucked her off the ground and hefted her over his shoulder.

"Issei, wait!" tried Rias.

Her words were pointless as the being that was Hyoudou Issei could not be reached. The primeval being referred to as the Red Blur had heard, but willingly chose to ignore her. At the moment, she was not as important as the one he swore to protect. And Ayame's life was in a critical state.

With its wings flaring once more, it zipped outside the house, changed its trajectory in defying the laws of aviation, and flew away faster than anyone else could perceive. No one could tell which direction it flew towards.

*Scene*

Miles away, after crashing through the _brick wall _of a small appliance store, the face-stealing monster that was imposing as Freed Sellzen patted the dirt off his ruined clothing. If anyone were to show up to investigate, at the expense of their life forfeited, it was easy to tell the individual was most furious.

"The fucking little shit-stain held back from killing me at the last fucking moment!" the deep, throaty voice of the fat monster snarled in frustration. It ripped off the crushed mask at the expense of ripping off a small layer of its own flesh. However, what damage had been done onto his body had quickly regenerated as red threads made of blood fastened him back together. "And we were so fucking close!"

"Oh, 'Go to Japan, make him kill out of righteous fury, and then leave. In and out,' they said! Bah! It w_as _an easy job in theory. Making a little bitch like him into a proper Predator is _not _an easy job to do. I'd like to see that fucker Chase Rolan do it, but noooooooo the little shit would rather see the world burn than step foot into Japan. Grow a pair you little midget! Japanese babes will do the kinkiest of things if you pay them right!

"Whatever. That shit of a Devil broke my mask. Oh wait. No. I can still use it. Probably a day or two before it comes apart. Alright, I can still make this work. Just have to have everything done by tomorrow. Let's see…"

He closed his eyes and began to focus on something, muttering incoherent things under his breath in a dark tongue that would render the mundane crazed should they stumble upon his presence. Power radiated out of his words alone. The dark of the night grew as the shadows stirred. Rather, as though they were living creatures, the shadows moved _away _from the monster as his biorhythm was producing a much darker miasma.

His eyes snapped open. "Well, shit. The kid took the nun with him. Wait. This could actually work. Yeah all right. Problem solved."

Flicking the leather mask of the deceased Freed Sellzen, the large humanoid monster stretched it out to cover his entire face. Should one be capable of observing, they will find that the mask could not completely cover his face and had to be stretched beyond recognition. However, by the mystics of a power most foul and **dark**, the World itself was fooled and so determined this individual to be Freed Sellzen. As such, as the World recognized the appearance of the former exorcist, so too would everyone else who was under the Ruler's Laws.

Registered once more into the system as Freed Sellzen, the image of the priest was as pristine as it was since stepping out of the church this early evening. Not a scratch remained on his skin and his clothes were tailored and pressed. Adjusting the coat to fit over his shoulders a little better, the pretender climbed out of the hole Issei launched him through.

He walked out into the alleyway and disappeared into the shadows.

"Time for Plan B," his voice still lingered within existence. "It's not like they could save the girl anyways, even if they tried resurrecting her as a Devil. The curse I placed on her will kill her no matter what. The little shit should have taken the antidote when I offered it to him but nooooooo he had to be all _noble. _Ah, there's nothing better than watching the hero fail. And there's nothing better than watching him rampage out of anger like he _almost _did just now. Ooo the lives he's going to take makes me so fucking excited!

"And maybe this time the Ruler will acknowledge him as Eighth."


	5. Eighth, the Dragoon

**A note from the author!**

Thought about leaving the AN until the end of the chapter this time, but decided against it.

So here we have the finale to the Asia arc (*coughAyamearccough*). It's the longest of my chapters to date of any story. Finishing at 23k words. That's typically two of my chapters, and it could have been but I REALLY wanted to post this as soon as possible. I'm not saying I rushed it, because I didn't. I just had a drive. Could have been longer, as the ACTUAL chapter ended at 31k. But I removed a few pointless sections, such as certain fight scenes and perspectives of other characters that didn't affect the plot whatsoever.

Many questions are answered in this chapter. But if I managed to miss anything, do let me know. I'm pretty sure I got everything though.

In regards to Issei's... lack of kicking ass. A lot of you are frustrated he keeps getting his ass handed to him by weaklings. I do say over and over that he can slay gods, which he can, yet why does he repeatedly lose to lesser beings? Those questions are also answered in this chapter, though I will state right now that your frustrations had been planned since the beginning of the story. However, when finding out that certain readers were frustrated for the wrong reasons, I can't help but blame myself. So I'm sorry for that. Regardless, I fix this problem as I intended for this arc to be a sort of prologue. I promise you there will be MAJOR curb-stompage from here on out.

Ah the Raizer arc... how I look forward to thee...

In regards to Freed. Normally, I would chalk this one up as a mistake on my part as well. HOWEVER, I couldn't help but notice that TWO-THIRDS of my readers were able to tell that this was NOT Freed but some imposer. Those who have read Doll Maker (Chapter 4 to be specific) were even able to guess his identity correctly. So, for those of you who say "Freed can't do that! He's only human!" then I can only assume it to be a lack of attention detail. I gave several clues as to say that this was NOT Freed, some of which blurted out in clear lettering that it wasn't. So I'm going to have to lean towards the two-thirds. Majority rules, and all that.

Moving on.

Someone mentioned Issei evolving from a Predator to a Guardian. Extremely tempting. Maybe when he gets his body rebuilt with Red's flesh. I was also astonished this person knew what a Guardian was. Kudos to you, and you know who you are.

People also called me out on my lack of Japanese knowledge. That I acknowledge. For that, I am REALLY sorry. I believe I've corrected myself in this chapter. Though still let me know if I make any other slip ups while I go and redo my research.

Some others have mentioned this story is filled with nothing but angst. I'll not deny it. It's quite a grim setting; a bit more than I intended. However, as soon as this arc is over, I will be bringing back all the hilarity that we all love. With 300% more debauchery! Granted it'll still be a serious story, there'll be plenty of hilarious moments.

Oh, I'm thinking about starting a forum to discuss matters relating to all of my stories. I've noticed quite a few of you read my other works. Do let me know what you think and I'll set it up if I get enough people involved.

Now about pairings...

Moving on.

Last and most important, according to you people anyways, Ayame. I made my decision. I filled it out. I'll not say what it is, but I will say I am VERY satisfied with the outcome. Go and read for yourself. Enjoy.

Thank you for reading Eighth the Dragoon! This author appreciates your attention! He shall be taking a long break to finish the LN and play Dark Souls!

Now on with the show!

* * *

Sona's fingers slid across the keyboard now that she had a foundation for the letter set. After a few attempts in seeking the rightful approach on how to persuade one of the greatest killers from entering her territory, all she needed now was to find the right words to compose her idea. She needed to be respectful, humble, apologetic, but could not look desperate else be seen as weak. Currently, she was just a messenger for Issei and so she had to impose the letter was coming from Eighth Predator. It wasn't hard to do since Issei trusted her and granted full permission to write however she wanted. In a way, she really was speaking as Eighth Predator by using his name.

Although, according to what Issei had told her, all the Predators stood on equal ground as they have achieved the pinnacle of power, it wouldn't do well to make Issei appear weak. She had to enforce his presence as one to not be challenged even against another Predator. She had to make it look like there would be too much trouble for Sixth Predator Rolan to come to Japan while at the same time appealing to the killer to forgive Issei.

Her fingers stopped when a small box at the corner of the screen flipped open. Peering through the window was a young man in his mid-twenties with dark skin and hair, a permanent scowl on his face, and heterochromiac eyes— his right as red as a ruby and his left as blue as a sapphire.

At first Sona was a little startled at his sudden appearance but able to maintain her composer. But once she stared into his eyes… her body tensed as her instincts screamed at her of the apparent danger he presented. They were the eyes of one who has seen war, seen countless death, and has delivered executions of his own. She would like to say that she was familiar with this feeling, but it was like comparing the radiance of the moon to the blinding sun.

Issei had such eyes. But his were still gentle. This man's, however, were far more brutal, merciless, vengeful. The registry under his profile stated he was calling all the way from the United States. Yet at that far of a distance did Sona still feel threatened.

It was also because his name was registered and listed under the window. C. L. Rolan.

Sixth Predator.

"S-Sir Rolan," Sona _tried _to be as courteous as can be, but her spike in fear got the best of her. She had been caught off-guard by his unannounced video-call. This would also be the first time she had been able to talk to another Predator other than sending a message in Issei's stead.

But if all Predators stood on equal ground… why did Issei's presence pale in comparison to his senior's?

"I was assuming to be talking to Hyoudou when I saw he was online," stated the Sixth in English. "Who am I speaking to instead?"

Sona held back the intake of air that would calm her down. To do so would show a state of weakness. She couldn't tarnish her reputation, and therefore Issei's. She would have to gain control of her emotions through will alone. "Sona Shitori, a classmate of Issei Hyoudou. It is an honor to meet you, sir. I apologize but Issei is unavailable at the moment. Would you like for me to take a message? I can also try to get a hold of him if you'd like."

Rolan stared at her without so much as moving. Sona wasn't sure if he was breathing. The tension between the two was so thick one _couldn't _cut it with a knife.

"…Who are you really, _girl_?" he instead challenged.

Sona bit the inside of her cheek to stop her lips from twitching. Her options were limited and she had only an instant to decide where to continue the conversation from here. She could continue with the story, but she knew she couldn't fool the Predator if he already called her out on it. She could tell him the truth and reveal herself as a Devil, but if Issei didn't know anything about Devils prior to becoming one then it was also possible the Sixth didn't either. Revealing such information could prove disastrous.

Hesitating any further will start suspicion. She couldn't afford to make him into an enemy right off the bat.

"The name Sona Shitori is my public alias," she chose her option wisely. "Forgive me if I offend you, but it is the only name I can give you. I ask that you respect this lady's privacy."

"…Fair enough," he nodded, his face relaxing just a fragment. Though his scowl remained; there was a sort of… gentleness in his eyes. Gentleness and _respect. _"The memo you were drafting was fluent. Well done. Maybe if it weren't full of _lies _I could have been swayed to ignore this recent incident."

Sona was able to transfer the twitching reaction to her hands hiding under the table. Somehow in some way he had been able to read her letter. Of course he could have. If he could open a video feed without her noticing then there was a likely chance he could access other features on the laptop.

"With all due respect, sir, it was for Issei's sake. He… lacks the understanding on dealing with delicate matters. He means well and apologizes for causing you problems. But it was my suggestion to compose the letter in his stead. I was only trying to put his feelings into words. I apologize if I've offended."

"I think a phone call would have been preferred," Rolan muttered bluntly. "I trust you were the one who has been sending me the reports? I thank you for that, while we're on the topic. Your organization has made it that much easier for me to file the collateral."

"Thank you sir," Sona openly accepted the compliment.

"Then I trust you are also aware of his alternative identity," it was said more of a fact than an accusation. "Let me ask you something. Are you his servant?"

"I am his friend," she replied immediately.

"…I'd prefer if you didn't lie to me."

This time, Sona couldn't hide the frown as she had just been insulted. Predator or not, it didn't excuse him to call her a liar. "Issei and I have known each other for eighteen months now. He trusts me enough to reveal all of his secrets to me, s_ir. _I am his senior in school; I help his academic studies, dressed his wounds when he returned too hurt to move on his own, and abused the system to excuse him from getting expelled due to his attendance record. I've taught him to use his brain so he could return home safely! I think I can say for sure I can call myself his friend."

She expected him to either come back with a snarky comment right away or to stay silent and observe her. Issei mentioned Rolan was a _very _impatient man who barely kept his anger in check. The outburst she just delivered was more than enough for him to snap.

Instead, his response had been immediate and calm. "Then you don't know what you are. It's not so much as you're lying to me as you are lying to yourself. There is respect in your tone when you talk about him, but it is not sympathy. It's not even petty adoration. Rather, it is filled with idolization. You see him as something above you, something close enough to gaze at from a distance yet never close enough to touch. Those aren't the feelings of a friend, girl. Those are the feelings of a servant. So I ask again, are you his servant?"

Sona wasn't sure if she should be angry with the Sixth Predator or not. She wanted to be, but those words struck a chord within her. He was right; she had been nothing but distant with Issei the entire time. She never really got to know him. Never tried to get close enough to understand his feelings. She never even asked him _why _he was trying to save people. She only came to her own assumptions and continued to assist him.

Because there was a wall of fear between them. Sona was terrified of Issei after learning he was Eighth Predator. She never said no to anything he asked because she was afraid he would get upset. Even if she knew with his kind heart he would never do anything to harm her, there was still that feeling within the back of her mind that told her _constantly _Issei was a threat to her existence. She always tried to make sure he was always happy. Always tried to make his life just a little bit easier to deal with.

But she never comforted him. Never took his offers to chat with him, to hang out with him outside of school, always making some excuse and giving herself more work to be able to avoid him. She never even acknowledged him when walking down the hallway. And she had seen the look in his eyes with how he wanted something _more _between them.

When she offered to message Rolan… when his hands clasped hers in nothing but sincere gratitude… The only thing that crossed her mind was to get as far away from his reach as fast as possible.

How dare she call herself his friend.

"Whatever," Sixth Predator broke her out of her thoughts after some time. "It's not my place to ask who he keeps his company with. Nor did I call because of his _hobby._ I asked because I want to know if you can speak for him. Does the title of Eighth mean anything to you?"

Sona used the gesture of fixing her glasses as a means to calm herself. She nodded. "I am aware of what Issei is. I am also aware of what you are, if you are going to ask."

"Then we can stop wasting time," the gentleness from before vanished as his brows creased further. "I've recently received a request from the Third. Do you know anything about this?"

"I'm afraid I haven't been informed of any instances pertaining to his… higher duties within the past few days," Sona replied professionally. "Due to personal matters, I'm afraid Issei has had his time occupied more often. He and I rarely talk other than when needed to. And his last scheduled outing was four days ago, to which I have been informed about."

"So you have four days of being in the dark," grossed Rolan. "Then let me ask you this; has there been anyone new in his company within those few days that you are aware of?"

"…Can you be a little more specific, sir?" Sona didn't want to tell him anything about Issei's involvement when becoming a Devil. She was also worried Rolan might already know about the existence of Devils. She didn't want to drag Rias and her peerage into this if she could avoid it.

"A priestess formerly belonging to the Church," he elaborated without the impatience Issei had mentioned _heavily _of. He was completely calm, if not still bearing the permanent look of someone who was angry. "If she is hiding her origin… perhaps an individual who prays a lot? The Third has told me the girl would not give up her religious responsibilities after being excommunicated."

"No, there is no one of that description that I am aware of," she answered honestly. "May I know what this is about so I may present it to Issei?"

"No," he answered before she could finish the question. "The girl carries a letter meant _only _for Hyoudou. The Third has placed a curse on it so should anyone other than him try to read it… Well, knowing her, I'd imagine she put something like Retribution on it. If you wish to know, then you'll have to take it up with him."

"I don't think he's aware of what's going on," she said while filing away the little bit of information Rolan shared about the Divine Beast. What exorcist of the Church used _curses_? And how could a curse replicate the miracle of Retribution— righteous fury of the heavens to punish the guilty?

"Then share this with him," the tone of impatience was starting to show. "On my end I am supposed to play decoy while he protects this girl across the ocean. I can't go any further on my part. But tell him he needs to find this girl if he already hasn't. Blonde hair, green eyes, around his age; with those descriptions he should be able to find her if putting enough effort. Plus I was told the girl was looking for him, so it'll make things a little easier if he follows his instincts. This requires the attention of a Predator."

Sona's eyes widened slightly. Issei said all Predators were free to do whatever they wanted so long as they didn't threaten to destroy the world. That achieving the title of Predator was the same as getting a shiny trophy; just a useless if not _pretty _trinket to put on display to show the valor of their merits. However, perhaps as a trap of some sorts when becoming the 'ultimate killers', the Predators were called on by _something _to defend the world from threats that could potentially end all life.

This meant whatever task Issei was given required his prowess as Eighth Predator. But… something didn't seem right.

For one, why hadn't Issei acted immediately if the world was indeed in such danger? Why didn't this nun get protection from the other Predators rather than wandering aimlessly around Japan? If they _were _called into action, then it was in Sona's understanding that they would terminate the threat rather than play bodyguard. They were _killers, _not protectors. The Predators varied in abilities; surely one of them could remove the problem no matter how abstract it may be.

Her suspicions were starting to make sense. All those times she listened to Issei's stories when she organized his reports, and those times when he just told her of the things he stopped when just randomly flying around, she always believed there was some sort of connection between them. Some were, perhaps, just natural disasters and humanity's indecency. But it was the missions from Rolan as well as the information shared with Fifth Predator Philips that made her mostly suspicious. It felt like they were intentionally manipulating Issei into solving these problems for some hidden reason. However, she couldn't figure out what kind of gain there could have been when doing this.

And then this comes up. This was probably the most obscure of problems so far with Issei conveniently being at the center of it. Once more being directed by Rolan.

Were… were the other Predators planning something against Issei?

"Understood," Sona used every trick to mask her emotions. "I will inform Issei immediately. Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?"

Whether he was aware of her thoughts or not, Sixth Predator Rolan didn't show it. "Tell him to stop being an idiot. I'll be working on damage control for the time being. Now that the world has recorded his voice, even if it was altered by his draconian half, there will be many cults and organizations attempting to track him down. He better be prepared to fight when they find him. They're beast hunters, rogue mages, and barbaric sociopaths whose only interest is a challenge; things the Dragon Slayer and I can't contain with our resources alone. I seriously hope the pussy was worth it."

Sona kept her mouth shut. Inwardly, she wanted to ask the same question. But the possibility of Issei getting any action was absolutely zero. Whoever this _Kirsche _girl was… Sona would love to give a piece of her mind.

"Thank you for your hard work thus far," Rolan showed a bit of a humane side when he shut his eyes and gave a small sigh. "I appreciate you taking care of him. I'm sure he'd be in a lot more trouble if you weren't around. I'll be transferring some funds to an account for you to have access to in Japan. Consider it a trust-fund if you plan on continuing to clean up Hyoudou's mess. But feel free to use it for your own expense. And I'll grant you one request. Make sure to choose wisely as you will only get one. Send a message whenever you are ready. Until then, have a good evening, Madame Sitri."

The communication was cut off.

Sona's eyes widened as she stood up from her chair, kicking it over in her haste. How in the world did he know who she was? Could he have already known all along? Did that mean Predator Rolan already knew about the existence of Devils?

Or did Issei tell him without her knowing…?

No. Issei wouldn't betray her like that, even in passing.

…Would he?

Sona was left alone with the silence of the house as her only company. The observation Rolan shared with her rang through her mind. The fact that she had been dismissed with good impressions by someone she was petrified of didn't faze her.

She didn't know anything about Issei. She didn't know the small yet intimate details about him such as what mistakes he might make. All she knew was he was kind. That his parents were killed, but didn't know _how. _That he awakened a power beyond his understanding and used it to be some sort of superhero, yet never knowing _why. _She knew he was a massive pervert, but began to question if it really was a mask he put up to keep himself going.

She didn't know what his thoughts were when becoming a Devil. He claimed he would serve Rias because he felt obligated to do so as she saved his life. All Sona inquired from that was what happened to have Rias resurrect him. She never asked whether he _wanted _to be a Devil or not, or whether he was okay with the new lifestyle. This was something completely foreign shoved into Issei's life despite how much of the supernatural he's already been exposed to.

It was likely, perhaps out of some paranoia, he may have asked one of the Predators to look into it for him. Sona was the one to teach him to gather as much information about any situation— to know a potential threat so to properly prepare. With no one to turn to, he may have been desperate enough to go towards those who _may have _understood a shred of his burdens.

If she _really _was his friend, she would have been there for him. Instead, she was nothing more than some secretary.

Her thoughts were cut off when the house began to rattle. The rumbling of a primal _beast's _howl echoed throughout the night.

*Scene*

Asia had to shut her eyes else lose her sanity. She gripped her arms tightly around the neck of the armored boy and held on for dear life. However, though she knew they were flying, she didn't feel the shifting forces one might when traveling at hypersonic speeds. Her body should have been torn apart by the wind and g-force, but she felt like she was just idly lying on top of the Devil's shoulder. When she chanced a glimpse to see if she were still traveling, her mind nearly shattered as it couldn't register the objects they were flying by. It wasn't so much as she was flying as she was magically being transported a few levels slower than immediate teleportation.

In all, the flight only lasted a few seconds. The feeling of weight returned as the armored Devil's feet landed on a hard surface. His multi-colored radiant wings flickered and then retracted to his shoulder blades as though they were organic limbs. Without a moment for Asia to regain her bearings, the Devil, this Ise Hyoudou boy, started moving at a fast pace up a few flight of stairs.

His name… it sounded so close to the one who was to protect her. Could he be…?

He opened a door; the sudden rays of light stung her eyes as the room they had just been in was almost as dark as the night.

"I-Issei?!" she heard a young lady's voice call out from down the hallway. But Ise— _Issei—_ was already moving to a room close to the… basement, Asia mused.

Asia blinked. The room they entered was one filled to the brim with medical equipment found in any clinic. There was even a large table for someone to operate, a bed in the corner for resting, a sink, and a small shower sealed behind a glass chamber. Almost in a rush, Issei _gently _tossed her off his shoulder while he carefully laid the dying girl on top of the table. His gauntlet hands lingering for a moment in her hands, and the girl wanted to hold on to his but lacked the strength to do so. She was barely breathing and eyes drooping as she could no longer continue fighting to stay conscious.

His head turned towards Asia. Behind those green lenses… Asia couldn't tell if she was looking at the boy who fought to protect her and the girl… or if there was nothing left but some animal driven only by instinct. It stared at her. _It _stared, lacking any means of communication or shred of humanity for her to sympathize with.

Yet, she understood the meaning of that gaze. With a resolute nod, Asia approached the dying girl and activated her Twilight Healing. Her hands glowed as the Sacred Gear channeled her inner energy. She could feel something within the girl resist her touch, trying to fight against her healing properties. But Asia pushed back, and slowly she was seeing the body start to heal. However, she wasn't sure if she could heal the girl out of such a critical state. The runes Father Freed etched onto her were powerful. She might run out of energy before being able to save the girl.

But Asia refused to believe that. She would rather die than let this little girl fall to such a cruel fate.

*Scene*

Sona was worried when she sensed Issei's presence enter the basement. She became twice so when he stormed through. She called out to him yet he didn't answer. Wanting to see what was so urgent, Sona shut the laptop and hurried herself over to find where he wandered into.

She found him in what was once his father's study, converted into a small medical facility used to treat his battle wounds. She paused for a moment when she saw him donned in his Red Dragon Emperor form. But her steps came to a complete stop when she sensed something was _horribly _wrong.

It felt like she was standing behind a stranger in Issei's skin.

To further her speculation, the _thing _turned its head towards her after sensing her approach. Sona nearly faltered when the gaze of a primitive beast looked upon her, judging whether to consider her a threat and kill or to ignore her as unimportant. To her relief, it chose the latter and turned its attention back towards the operating table.

Sona gasped when she saw what he was standing over. On the operating table was a young girl just a few years younger than her in stark nudity and covered from head to toe in both fresh and dry blood. Every inch of her body was covered in shallow gashes of intricate design as though some sicko tried to etch a magic sigil into her. Each mark was small and no different than a small cut one might receive when cutting vegetables.

But when combined with _hundreds _of them… the state of pain and blood loss should have rendered the girl dead from shock.

Hunched over the girl was a young maiden in priestly attire… with blonde hair and green eyes, matching the description Rolan gave her. Her hands were glowing with green light— healing magic— yet she was sweating with her arms shaking from fatigue. But her focus was absolute and nothing save the house coming down on top of them could stop her.

Was it coincidence this girl shows up as soon as Rolan asks about her? Or was this all staged like she suspected…?

"What… what happened?" Sona's voice was low and demanded answers.

Isssei didn't respond. His back was kept towards her.

Sona walked around him so to look at his face. "Issei, _what happened?_"

Again, Issei didn't respond, let alone look away from the wounded girl.

"Issei, look at me. Look at me Issei!"

But nothing she tried could get his attention.

She clicked her tongue and decided it would be better to find out later. She moved away from him and turned towards the wounded girl. It was only when she placed her hands over the nun's did Issei's head shift in her direction, observing her and again judging whether she should be killed or ignored. Sona wouldn't deny she wanted to run away right then and there. She had never had Issei's malice directed towards her— the feeling made her realize how hopelessly insignificant she was compared to the might of a Predator.

But she also knew he would never harm her. She told herself over and over. She was his _friend, _no matter what that despicable Sixth Predator said to her. From this point on, she was going to prove to everyone, Issei, and especially herself that she was his friend.

With a glance from the nun, the two girls crossed their healing wonders together to amplify the effects. Sona could feel a foreign force push against her; it only made her mind sharpen with focus, trying to find the holes in its design and undo them. So while the nun worked on regenerating the flesh, Sona worked on undoing the counter-magic of the runes over the girl's skin.

Such a task was not easy. It was going to be a long night.

*Scene*

Within the little box that was his prison, Issei was being swept away by uncontrollable currents befitting that of a storm. The world around him was nothing but masses of red energy and flames; hot and fierce enough to scorch his metaphorical body. In this ocean of rage, hatred, vengeance, wrath, fury— all manner of pure anger in all its understanding and expression, Issei was but a drop of water before a great inferno.

While this was happening, simultaneously, he was fully aware of his actions back in the physical world. His body was filled with such power it was as though he had doubled his potential hundreds if not _thousands _of times. He could feel the power of the **cosmos **coursing through his veins as though all of heaven was his to command. With such power, he could create and destroy continents with his fists alone! This was the might of one who has surpassed the Heavenly Dragon. This was what it meant to be recognized by the World as a Predator.

But he could not control it. It was far too great for him to contain as the hatred of all those who tried to achieve what he has accomplished, former wielders of the Boosted Gear, raged against him. They tried to consume him in their jealousy. His physical body moved of its own will, driven only by their lust and wrath to return to the physical world with the transcending magnificence that was a Heavenly Dragon. Instead, it would only rampage and seek destruction.

…Or it should have. If not for someone's voice calling out to him.

He battled against the currents, trying to find his way back towards the surface. He was just a young boy with idealistic goals trying to defy commanders, conquerors, heroes, villains— beings of far greater worth who had made their place in history. And there were hundreds of them stored away within the Boosted Gear. He was but one boy trying to stand up against a small army of the greatest warriors and minds alike.

Yet, out of all of them, he was the only one to achieve what they could not.

With his drive to save those he cared for, he was able to _touch _the surface, nearly breaking free from their storm. When he came so close to breaking free, they doubled their efforts and swept him back to the bottom. But he did not give up. It only made him want to try that much harder. As they tried to crush him with their jealousy and hatred, he defied them with his righteous fury.

Because, unlike these _losers, _Hyoudou Issei had someone to return to.

Within the crimson world, his wings blazed alive. The wings which marked one who has subjugated a Primordial Being, who has obtained the right to be recognized by the Primordial Dragons as a Lord of Dragons. They defied the World and all the Ruler's Laws, as they came from a force higher than the Ruler's Authority. Even in this metaphorical world it was no different.

With his own passion, his wings forced him through the currents of fire and crimson. The roars of outrage were ignored as too were their efforts to stop him. Nothing could touch him as Issei was now a part of a sub-dimension outside their reach.

Breaking out of the surface, out of his prison, was a childish matter after that.

He may have defeated Ddraig those few years ago, but he was not a Dragon Slayer like Siegfried. No, he was something else. Something that allowed him to surpass his predecessors of the Boosted Gear. As they had tried to overpower the Heavenly Dragon and were crushed by Ddraig's might, Issei had chosen an alternative route. And from his different choice was he now _the _Red Dragon Emperor, a full manifestation of the Heavenly Dragon given corporeal form.

And the World itself recognized him for his power. He was **Eighth, the**—

Issei fell to his knees as soon as his mind returned to the real world. His armor clattered onto the floor before disintegrating into… whatever it was that made it up. He was panting, sweating, and his body ached from channeling such almighty power through him. His consciousness threatened to fade to black, but he clenched his teeth in effort to stay awake.

"Issei!" he heard Sona shout in alarm. His body was too tired to move so if there was a threat then he was a goner anyways. Luckily that wasn't the case.

"It's good to see you back amongst us, sweetie," teased Akeno.

"S-So he really is…" he heard the voice of Shinra Tsubaki, Sona's Queen. "I can't believe Hyoudo-san is really the Red Dragon Emperor…"

Issei looked up from where he was kneeling. His vision was swirling around and it took a few blinks for him to see clear enough, albeit poorly. He was… home, somehow. They were in the backroom where he kept the first-aid. Standing on all four sides of the center table were Akeno, Tsubaki, Sona, and the sister Asia. Though all of them had their eyes on him, their primary attention was focused on the table. Sona, Tsubaki, and Asia had their hands hovering above the surface with their hands glowing with different shades of green energy. And Akeno had her hands pressed together like in prayer while she focused on projecting to magic circles; one on the surface on the table and the other floating directly above on the ceiling.

The bloodied utensils and towels resting on a tray on the counter told Issei what they were doing. It came crashing back to him almost as harsh as the waves within his inner world.

"Ayame…" he ground out and rose back to his feet with great effort. He fell once and tried again. He needed to see her condition.

"Take it easy, Ise-kun," Akeno looked his way with a sad smile on her face. "We have everything under control. Rias sent me specifically to treat Nakashima-chan. With everyone else present, this is something we can accomplish. So just try to get some rest, 'kay? We'll treat your wounds once we finish here."

"She's right," Sona spoke up. "Unlike most other Sacred Gears, the Boosted Gear has been known to drain considerable amounts of stamina from its user. _Dragonfied _for not, your body isn't up to par if you use it for too long. Not only were you out for several hours already in that form, but you've used its power to its max while staying idle this whole time. I'm not surprised if your body is ruined on the inside."

Issei wobbled to his feet but had to use the bed in the corner to keep his stance. There were the two burn marks that ran through his shoulders from the light sword and the large gash across his chest from Freed's blood/light attack. His entire body felt like gelatin. "Then… Ayame…"

"Will make a full recovery," assured Akeno with a brighter smile.

Issei nearly lost all his remaining strength at that. A tremendous weight was lifted off his chest as though all of his problems were washed away by Akeno. Nothing else mattered right then. He couldn't care less about dealing with the Fallen Angels or dealing with Rolan-sempai. In fact, none of those matters went through his skull. He was… at peace.

"T-Thank you…" he openly sobbed.

Akeno replied with an even brighter smile.

*Scene*

At some point Issei _did _black out. His body had reached its limits and at some point had succumbed to slumber. It was a good thing he was already near the bed to begin with. He didn't know how much time had passed. When he came to, the fatigue was still upon him and his mind couldn't reboot. So, lingering between consciousness and slumber, he remained resting on the soft bed with his eyes closed. His arms embracing the warm pillow clinging close to his body, keeping him warm.

Alarms kicked off when the pillow latched back on to him.

He then remembered the bed _didn't _have any pillows.

When he came to, he found he was shirtless. His wounds had been cleaned and dressed, leaving his upper chest wrapped in a series of bandages. It felt awkward not having his undershirt on, leaving his back and Gift of Flight wings exposed.

But his lack of a shirt wasn't important. In his arms was a petite figure of a young lady with brown hair and peach skin. She was almost as tall as he was so therefore must have been somewhere around his age. Winding up in his bed wasn't such a bad thing. But it was because he could feel two tiny _buttons _press against his chest did he freak the hell out.

Because this girl was _completely _nude.

"Ooooooowaaaaaaaah!" Issei tried to squirm away, but found when he retreated the wall was against his back. There was nowhere for him to run.

Annoyed, the girl stuck to his arms grabbed his cheeks and pulled. Hard. Her silver eyes glared with a piercing gaze that belittled his importance as an individual. "Ise-nii, I'm trying to sleep."

With a huff, she lowered her arms and nuzzled her head back against his body, trying to enwrap every inch of skin of herself around him.

Issei froze as he came to realize the one slipping into his bed wasn't some petanko girl around his age like Koneko. It was just Ayame. Oh how he wanted to cry and curse at the gods of debauchery for fucking with him again. Maybe he should have taken the opportunity with Rias when she snuck into his bed so long ago. Was this his punishment for not accepting their gift?! Receiving an underage girl he couldn't touch else be thrown into the deepest pit of hell for pedophilia?!

WAIT! That wasn't important at the moment…

"Ayame…?" Issei asked as the past several hours returned to his memory.

As he looked once more at the one he nicknamed 'sister', he could see for certain this was Ayame. However, as his hands ran over the surface of her arm and back, he could feel small ridges that shouldn't belong. His eyes could pick up the different shade of pigment where Freed had run his blade through her. The runes were scarred onto her skin, never to be removed.

Issei wrapped his arms around her and embraced her a little tighter. In response, she pressed her head against the crane of his neck. She was hurt… but she was alive. It was one small blessing he would gladly accept.

"So you're finally awake," Sona said at the doorway.

Issei _jumped _and immediately sat up. "S-S-S-S-S-Shitori-sempai! It's not what it looks like!"

Ayame grumbled but sat up as well. However, she latched herself to Issei's arm and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. Her bare breasts (no matter how small or nonexistent they were) pressed against his bicep with his hand hanging _dangerously _low between her thighs. It made his mouth gape open in both excitement and panic. His mind was ready to split open as he fought against his perverted nature, reminding himself that she's only _twelve._

Sona stared at him for some time, taking the moment to fix the position of her glasses. What felt like an eternity of awkward silence, she responded in a matter of seconds. "…Ise-san, I know you're a sexual deviant beyond any hope of salvation, but even I didn't think you'd stoop this low."

A metaphorical arrow pierced through Issei's chest hard enough for a drool of blood to slip through his lips.

"Sona-oneesama," Ayame spoke up in a slightly weakened voice, but her usual dry tone was recognizable. "I snuck in with Ise-nii on my own. It was cold. I wanted warmth."

Issei sniffed as the tears started to gather. _Finally _a girl who would come to his defense!

"…He did not do his usual acts of pedophilia this time," she concluded after a second of thought.

A second metaphorical arrow pierced his left lung.

"I… I'm not a lolicon," he cried though he knew they wouldn't listen.

Sona scowled and didn't try to resist her hand from pressing itself against her left temple. "If you were cold then you should have told me. It's probably from all the blood loss before being resurrected. Though you should have fully recovered after everything… I guess your mind hasn't caught up with the changes just yet. But please don't do this again. Who knows what Ise-san will do to you in his sleep?"

Her confession of a complete lack of faith in him was the third and final arrow that made Issei topple over. His body hunched forward as the life exited from his eyes.

When he came back to, Sona was dressing Ayame in one of Issei's robes. She wrapped it tightly around the petite girl and left a cute look seeing as it was a size or another too big. Ayame didn't mind and didn't try to roll up the sleeves. She only hugged herself for warmth.

"Wait," Issei stood up and rubbed his head. He felt like he needed a few hours more of sleep and his body felt a little sore and stiff. But priorities took place. "Sona… what did you say? Did… Did Buchou…?"

After dressing Ayame, Sona turned her attention back to Issei. "The damage was… catastrophic. Issei, understand if you were just a few minutes too late Nakashima-san would have died. And if Argento-san weren't there… But I'm afraid with all of our efforts the best we could have done was slow down her death. While Tsubaki and Argento-san were healing her body, Himejima-san and I were undoing the curse placed onto her. Unfortunately we weren't able to heal her body completely. She will have these scars for the rest of her life."

Sona paused, shutting her eyes and pressing her glasses up to her face in the way she would when thinking hard about something. She was keeping something from Issei. But at the moment he didn't care.

Meanwhile, Ayame listened intently on Sona's explanation. Though it was likely she had heard this before, she needed to hear everything once more, perhaps out of confirmation that this was all real.

Sona continued, "Those weren't normal runes, Ise-san. They were completely unfamiliar to both Himejima-san and I. I assure you they were _not _markings used by the Church, especially with the amount of… wrong residue they projected. Not evil, not even corrupt. Just… _wrong._ They didn't just resist all manner of magic like Argento-san explained; they even resisted the Evil Piece from resurrecting Nakashima-san. Luckily, we were able to… scrape off enough from her body just in time to counter its resistance.

"But I should stretch how close we were to missing our time-limit. If we had waited then we would have either exhausted ourselves or Nakashima-san would have fallen to her injuries. I couldn't wait for Rias to arrive and so I had to make a decision then and there. So Ise-san let me introduce to you my newest Pawn, Nakashima Ayame."

As Sona moved away and gestured in Ayame's direction, the newly resurrected Devil sprouted her wings for Issei to see. They weren't any different and Issei didn't expect them to be. But it was still a shock to see nonetheless.

"S-Sona…" Issei muttered under his breath, saying her given name instead of keeping up formalities.

Sona raised a brow at this. But then she gasped and gave something of a girly shriek when he swept through the room and pulled her into his arms. He embraced her with newfound strength and even raising her off her feet. Over and over, almost in a mantra, he thanked her and openly shed tears of gratitude.

Sona was shaking, however, by being so close to him. She hadn't forgotten about the menacing glare he had sent her when standing at attention as the Red Dragon Emperor, constantly watching her and willing to strike her down the second he believed her a threat. Such surveillance, especially when standing not five feet away from her, for long hours could not be missed. Never before had she felt such a dagger to her throat.

But… she made a promise onto herself.

Hesitantly at first, Sona raised her arms and forced her feelings back down. She couldn't be terrified of Issei any longer. It wasn't fair to him when everything he's done was for the good of others. Never once did he think of himself. And she knew he would never do anything to harm her. It was time she returned those feelings.

She returned the hug.

…But she felt an intense glare surpassing that of a Predator's.

"…" Ayame was peering at her from the corner of the room with such a stare that Sona felt… naked. And guilty. Like she was betraying the girl for some unknown reason.

"Where's everyone else?" Issei said practically out of the blue.

She broke free from Issei's grip and straightened her clothes. "It's almost three in the afternoon, Ise-san. Tsubaki went back to the student council to manage my peerage and Himejima-san said she would be reporting back to Rias. She was here for some time to check up on you but had to leave to finish taking care of the damage from last night. I'm supposed to call her once you've awakened. Argento-san is still here and said she needed to talk to you. Come along, Ise-san. There's a lot we need to discuss."

*Scene*

It had been a while since Issei had been this hungry. No, he was positively _famished. _Apparently going into Balance Breaker with his ultimate potential unlocked and rendered a mad juggernaut drained him of all his energy. Go figure. So while he sat across the table with Sona, he devoured everything placed in front of him. Both Asia and Ayame worked tirelessly to serve plate after plate of food straight from the kitchen. Masses of food not proportionate to his size were engulfed faster than they could serve. Perhaps it was another property of his draconian nature to digest nutrients at an impossible rate.

While he gorged himself, and while Sona waited for him to finish _patiently, _Issei tried to think about why his Balance Breaker mode went so far out of control. Within that metaphysical world sealed inside his Sacred Gear, Issei had learned of the ghosts of the former wielders of the Boosted Gear before him. He also learned at the core, where the true power of the Heavenly Dragon resided, they were at constant war with each other in a pointless attempt to obtain the dragon's authority.

However, as soon as Issei entered this world, all of their conflicts had ceased and focused all of their malicious intent onto him.

And then he began to wonder what caused his body to go berserk. In three years he had never had such a situation surface. He had seen all the horrors the world had to throw at him, had seen countless bloodshed to haunt his dreams, and had faced against the most sinister of individuals that _needed _to be put down. Not everyone could be subjected to justice like he had originally thought when first swearing to become a hero. As his innocence had been _retched _from his soul, he had long accepted the evils of the world while at the same time refusing to tolerate it.

Somehow, Freed had been able to drive this reaction out of him. Something he had never felt before. It made him thirst for blood, to kill him where he stood, to go all-out and crush his skull with everything he had. His vision had narrowed with only the desire to kill, not to save Ayame or to arrest Freed. Just the primal desire to kill at its base pleasure.

He wondered for a moment if this was what it meant to truly care about someone, to want to deliver the same amount of pain onto those who have wronged them. It was a strange feeling to Issei. He wondered if he would react the same way to Sona, to Rias, or to Motohama and Matsuda. He wouldn't know until something happened to them— which he prayed to his make-believe gods of debauchery that something like that will never happen.

He'd pray to God, but he quickly realized a few days after becoming a Devil praying to Him just gave him a headache.

"Oh that's right," he had almost forgotten Sona wanted to talk to him. After his… thirty-second plate of food, if he was keeping count right, he recalled Sona dragged him into the dining area to talk about something important. "What did you want to share, Shitori-sempai?"

"…Sona."

Issei blinked. "Sorry? What about your name?"

Sona shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I want you to call me by my given name from now on. And… I'll be just calling you Ise as well."

Issei put up his hands and pleaded, "W-Wait a minute! I can't just call you by your given name. I mean… after all this time I guess I can call you Sona-sempai. And I don't mind whatever you call me. But you're my upperclassman so I can't just—"

"This is nonnegotiable," her eyes narrowed in distaste.

Issei gulped. She always gave him that look whenever he was in trouble. And once Sona had put her foot down on something, there was nothing he could do to change her mind. "…Yes Shitori— S-Sona…"

"…Totally whipped," remarked Ayame as she cleaned up the table. It got Issei to start crying again.

Once that topic was out of her way, and once Sona checked the first priority on her mental to-do list, the Sitri Heiress began addressing the Eighth Predator with all professionalism. "If you don't mind me asking, Ise, what exactly is your relationship with Nakashima-san? I wish to hear your side of the story since I've heard it from her."

Issei straightened himself and replied, "Originally she was a client of mine who summoned me frequently. In time, we got to know each other really well and got along. Sure she insults me at every chance… and questions my intelligence… and makes me feel like I'm lower than dirt…"

Eyes shifted over to Ayame as Issei began to brood. The girl in question only shrugged as though his words had no value whatsoever to her and went back to washing the dishes. Her reaction caused Issei's mood to darken.

"But," the draconian Devil quickly recovered, "she's a good girl. I don't know what to say other than there's some sort of… connection between us. Like we were meant to meet another. She's very special to me and I would do anything for her. I don't think I can live without her… She's my sister, if I could put it into words."

Ayame's hands stopped moving when she heard this. She knew the reason why. She and Issei were two peas from the same pot, almost literally. They both experienced a horror too graphic for them to be able to recover from. Ayame had her method of adapting while Issei had his. Though their personalities were warped, it became worse as the murder of their parents left them alone. Issei didn't know she too suffered from the face-stealing monster. Their experience made them made for each other. They needed each other for support else drown in their loneliness.

She joked about calling him 'brother'. But… for some reason, perhaps given their circumstances, it felt right to be considered siblings. It warmed her heart.

"…I told you he was a pedophile," she muttered loud enough for everyone to hear anyways.

"I TOLD YOU I'M NOT A LOLICON!" Issei blurted out while slamming his fists on the table.

The sound of sniffling caught his attention. Issei quickly spotted the sister, the blonde beauty Asia Argento. Her hands were close to her chest, clutching the fabric of her dress. Her eyes were puffing with large pools of tears ready to fall at any given chance. Sona had noticed ever since the conversation started the priestess was flinching as though every word Issei said harmed her.

Before Issei could fathom what was going on, the girl ran around the counter and looked at him with those heartbroken eyes. "Please tell me… Are you really Issei Hyoudou?"

"Um… yes?" he responded dumbfounded. Secretly he thought the girl was absolutely adorable… but he also felt guilty for thinking she was cute for crying. Besides, this was the girl who had saved Ayame's life. He had yet to thank her properly.

However, Asia let the tears fall as what fortitude she had before collapsed. Nothing but absolute regret exuded from her being. "I-I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryImsorryImsorryImsorry! I'M SO SORRY!"

"H-Hey, wait, uh…" Issei got up from his seat to assure her there was nothing wrong, nor could he figure out why she was apologizing. He should be the one apologizing for bringing her here and then thanking her for her abilities. Instead, when he went to her, her knees gave in and he had to catch her by her shoulders. Carefully, he lowered her to the ground.

She clutched his arms and continued to sob. "I came here seeking your protection and look what I've done! I've caused you so much pain! Please forgive me! And if you don't, then I'll do anything you want! I can't live with myself for this, so please!"

"A-A-A-Anything?!" Issei nearly choked on his own spit.

Let there be a reminder that before he is a Devil of the Gremory House, before he is Eighth Predator, Hyoudou Issei is something else. A pervert. One who's sexual desires stand against any concept the world has to offer in _attempting _to understand him.

No matter the situation, even a dire one such as this, Issei cannot help but be controlled by what makes up the formula that is his soul. To do so would be the same as trying to get oil and water to mix. Unless someone has molecular distortion equipment (at the cost of potentially creating a crater that will take up a third of the world), such a thing is impossible.

"…So a little girl isn't enough for you?" the voice of Ayame snapped him back into reality. "You'd even be willing to take the virginity of a nun who's taken a pledge of abstinence?"

_You are below a single-celled ameba, _her eyes said.

Issei chose to pretend to not hear her… for the sake of his pride as a man and for his mental health. He sighed, patted Asia's head, and tried to calm her down. "You did nothing wrong. You were trying to help us and I could tell you knew nothing about what was going to happen. If anything, I should be the one asking if I can do anything for you. Argento-chan, I can never thank you enough for everything you've done."

"B-But I…" Asia continued to cry anyways.

"If you want his protection then you should be respectful of his wishes," Sona interjected. "If he wants to do something for you then you should accept. You are a guest in his house so it would be rude if you refused his generosity."

"Oh, that's right," Issei helped Asia back to her feet while keeping his eyes locked on Sona. "What's this about needing my protection? Shitori— S-Sona, are the Fallen Angels holding her captive or something?"

Sona's eyes locked on to Asia's instead. "Argento-san, did you not say you had a letter for Issei?"

Asia nodded as she was trying to wipe away her tears. She reached into her gown and pulled out a brown envelope, a little crumbled but still in fair condition. She handed it to Issei, who accepted it with mild curiosity.

Sona was about to say something, but stopped herself short. She was far too curious about the contents of that letter and would decide after what to say to Issei regarding his _most-trusted _seniors.

Issei unsealed the wax and unfolded a single letter. To the observer, the pages were blank. However, as they noticed Issei's eyes run through the lines only he could see, there was indeed something written within. His curiosity immediately shifted to one of intense focus, to one in dark mood, to one of surprise, and so on. His emotions varied, yet not one of them was in good lighting.

When he finished reading the last line, the paper immediately disintegrated into golden dust, which vanished into the air. There was not a trace of its existence remaining. And for a while, Issei's face was still— expressionless as he was lost in his thoughts. No one could guess what the Divine Beast Predator had to say for Issei's attention alone.

"M-Mr. Hyoudou…?" Asia was growing worried and her presence was starting to feel like it was imposing on everyone. It made her want to shy away and make herself smaller.

Suddenly, there was a twinkle in Issei's eyes as his hands moved faster than the blink of an eye. He clasped Asia's hands together and looked directly at her with such intensity it was like staring straight at the sun.

"Asia!"

"Y-Y-Yes?!" she jumped.

"Of course you can stay here!" he was more so screaming it to the heavens than telling her. "I'll be more than glad to take care of you! There're plenty of rooms available so you can take your pick. Until Serene-sempai comes to get you, I swear I will always protect you. You have nothing to fear so long as I'm around! I promise!"

"Serene…-sempai…?" Asia questioned at first but then his words finally registered through her mind. "Eh?! Y-You mean a-after e-everything you're still willing to protect me? Ohhhhhhhhh… I… I'm not worthy to be under the care of someone Madame Serene trusts!"

"Nonsense!" Issei argued with so much passion. "I'm the one who's not worthy! You saved Ayame's life so it's the least I can do to repay you. You can stay here as long as you want. Please feel free to call me Ise."

Asia was flustered as she didn't know what to do. She ended up giving in and going along with it. "T-Then please take good care of me… And you can call me Asia as well."

In the background, Ayame pulled out a small notepad from seemingly nowhere and wrote Asia's name right below Sona's, who was right below her own name. Her own name had five stars, Sona's had two, and at the moment Ayame gave Asia four stars. They represented each name's 'potential'. Should anyone be paying attention, the name of the list was **Most Likely to get Raped by Ise-nii**. Her task done, she returned to the dishes.

"Ise," Sona spoke up. "While you were… away, I was speaking with Rolan directly through a video feed."

Issei's wondrously good mood shattered like a hammer meeting glass. His complexion paled to a ghastly white while cold sweat flashed over his skin. One might recon he had some horrendous disease.

"He told me the situation demands your full attention as Eighth," she pressed. It shook him out of his panic attack for sure. "He said he was… 'playing decoy' at his location, whatever that means. He also said it was of absolute importance that you located Argento-san. However, this was but ten minutes before you've returned with Argento-san already in your company. He asked me if she was with you within the last four days, which means it's highly likely he's been aware of Serene's request for some time."

As Issei took his seat back on the table, Ayame snuck up his side and took the opportunity to sit on his lap. She pressed herself against his chest and even made his arms cross over her torso. She nuzzled close to him for warmth. Issei did notice her skin was as cold as marble surface; it was almost unnatural.

"What was in that letter, Ise?" Sona pressed.

"…What are you getting at, Sona?" he questioned.

"I'm saying you shouldn't trust your beloved sempai any further," she fixed her glasses. "They're manipulating you. All those missions you've been sent to do have some sort of connection. Thinking it over, they were all threats they could have taken out on their own yet they've always slid them over your way. Sometimes they've gone as far as _bribe _you. They were all jobs which required you to fight powerful threats capable of wiping out millions of lives. Some of these jobs you were forced to kill. Some of the threats they pretended to not notice so to raise the situation dire enough for you to do nothing but kill. And now all of a sudden you're being trusted to protect some stranger? This isn't your forte, Ise. If Serene couldn't protect her, you have to question why she sent Argento-san your way.

"If I recall, Serene does not like you for your sexual tendencies. And if she is an exorcist of the Church, then it is highly likely she would have noticed that one of her equals was reincarnated as a Devil, doubling her reasons to despise you. Yet, out of the remaining six, she still trusted _you _to protect Argento-san. Not to mention Rolan's call was far too well-timed to be shrugged off as coincidence. It was like he was checking to see if a package was delivered on time.

"They're planning something, Ise. And you're at the center of it. They're using you."

Issei wanted to argue. He really did. For the past three years his sempai have been nothing but helpful. They always did what he asked, even if he had to make sure to pay them back in some way. He trusted them more than anyone. Yet, Sona had never led him wrong. Sona always lectured him whenever he made a mistake and it always proved to be helpful. She taught him patience, to think on his feet, to strategize, to come back safe with fewer wounds.

He… He didn't know who to trust more at the moment.

Plus, there were the contents of the letter to consider. He _did _question why the Divine Beast was having him do this for her as a 'favor'.

"T-That can't be true!" Asia was the one to defend them. "Madame Serene is nothing but kind and always took care of us! When everyone at the Church condemned me as a witch, she was the only one who still believed in me. She saw me as a human being! She would never do what you're accusing of! She even told me we are all God's children. Is that someone who would do something so evil onto another child of the Lord?"

Sona's brow twitched when being referred to as a 'Child of the Lord'.

"Aaaaaannnnnnnnnd neither of you would be wrong!"

The stench of blood invaded the household as soon as the voice was heard. Asia gasped and took a few steps away once she recognized the voice. Issei tensed with his battle instincts flaring. Sona stood from her chair and prepared herself to retaliate against the hostile intent.

And Ayame began shaking. Her breathing stopped as the nightmares came rushing back through her mind.

Freed Sellzen shut the front door and strolled through the room with his arms swaying more than they should. There was a sort of bounce in his heels with each step and a large playful grin spread throughout his face.

Issei stood and put himself in front of Ayame. His eyes were glaring righteous fury at Freed. As Ayame was no longer in danger like last time, Issei could double his potential without slipping into madness. "How did you get through my protections?!"

"Hmmmmmmm?" Freed's smile grew to the point where his dimples were twisting. "What'cha talking about, shitty Devil? You mean those toilet paper wipes you call defense tags? Did you get too much of your boyfriend's jiz in your ear last night or something or did you just forget? I'm an exorcist! Your charms only work against those with _bad _intent. I'm nothing but a good boy!"

Issei's fists clenched. The traps he hid around his house were supposed to activate when someone with dark intentions had invaded his home. However… if they didn't sense any such dark intentions… then it meant whatever Freed believed himself to be was _good. _A sick, disgusting, twisted perversion of good.

"Father Freed, stop this!" Asia begged. "Please! Leave these people alone in peace!"

"He's not the type to listen to reason," Sona began channeling her demonic energy. The vases of flowers toppled over as water flew towards her as well as from the sink. "Someone like him needs to be _forced!"_

She commanded the water to be launched at him in waves of bullets. They were certainly fast and dense enough to destroy his flesh.

But, with almost a bored expression, Freed snapped his fingers as soon as she launched her attack. When the sound hit the air, her spell evaporated into mist or dropped immediately to the floor. Sona's eyes widened in absolute shock.

"Little girl," though it was in the voice of Freed, the tone belonged to that of a stranger. "Do you know what the difference is between water and blood?"

With his attention locked on Sona, Issei bolted forward, crossing over the short distance in a blink. He had doubled his potential four times. His draconian blood enhanced his strength, bringing his right hook around with enough force to blow Freed away.

…Only his fist never made it. Freed had intercepted him halfway and sent his knee to his gut. The blow knocked the air out of Issei and sent him reeling back in pain despite Freed's humanity against his draconian nature. These results should have been impossible. He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach as he tried to catch his breath. His brows knitted together, wondering why his traps still didn't work.

"Well aren't you the klutz," the goofy tone of Freed's returned. "Look at that. The shitty Devil runs straight into my knee and gets himself hurt. But when your brain is as tiny as your dick, I guess it makes sense."

What a truly warped mind. His traps didn't activate because Freed believed he had done nothing wrong. "You… bastard…"

Quickly, Asia ran over to Issei's side. She knelt to the floor and straightaway activated her Twilight Healing.

…Except Freed grabbed her by her hair and pulled her away. She screamed, but was cut off when Freed then wrapped his other hand around her throat.

"Let her go!" Issei demanded and went back on to his feet.

"…Or what?" Freed asked with genuine curiosity. When realizing he wasn't going to receive a response, he began to cackle with glee. "This is why everyone fucks with you, shitty Devil. You can look at me all you want with those eyes, but there ain't no law out there that can tell me what to do. Not the government, not that useless Father, and especially not you, _Dragon Rider._"

Issei had heard Freed call him that last night. His eyes sharpened as he glared at the exorcist with every bit of vicious intent he had. "If you know who I am, then it would be best if you did release her. Walk away now and I won't have to kill you."

In response, Freed pulled out a mundane dagger and pressed it to Asia's throat just enough to draw some blood. It made everyone tense. "See, you say that, but I'm not getting a boner from any killing intent. You're far too interested in keeping her alive than killing me. That's your problem. You lack the balls to see things through. If you were a _real _Predator, you would have been able to strike fear into my heart with but a glance! But instead, you're nothing but a little pussy who doesn't know how to use his power!"

Freed's eyes slithered over from Issei towards Ayame, who had hidden herself under the table with her knees tucked into her chest. As their eyes met, she began hyperventilating. Freed's voice became dark:

"For example… you should have listened and killed me last night…"

With his hand no longer tugging on Asia's hair, he snapped his fingers once more.

Ayame gave an audible gasp that forced the room into silence. She began convulsing as she fell to her side. Her mouth hung open as she was silently screaming in pain, unable to will herself to make a sound. Her veins pulsed, twitched, _slithered _like snakes and blackened for them to be seen all over her body.

And then she puked blood.

"No!" screamed Asia despite her situation. She tried to break free to go to the girl's aid, but Freed had grabbed her shoulder and held it firm enough for her to be unable to move.

"AYAME!" shouted Issei as he abandoned his stare-off against Freed to come to her side. He pulled her from under the table and into his arms. Sona moved behind him and immediately began trying to use her magic to run a diagnosis. Ayame was shaking uncontrollably with her eyes glazed out of focus. Tremendous rage surged through Issei. "What did you do to her?!"

"If you want to blame someone, blame yourself," Freed's voice changed entirely.

Issei's body froze. That voice… there was no way he could ever forget it.

The face-stealing monster smiled. Only in Issei's eyes did his illusion break. The large blob of a man materialized before him with a long dead leather face stretched over his like a mask. Peering through the lids of what once was the exorcist, the eyes of marbled black and red orbs gazed down at him.

"I told you to kill me, to give in to your hatred and destroy me. I could feel it! It makes you stronger, gives you _focus! _But you don't use it! And now, because you were too worried about preserving life, the one you care about the most is going to die. I even offered you the antidote. Imagine that. Did you really think I didn't consider you resurrecting her when I concocted my curse?!"

Issei couldn't move. The one who killed his parents, who stole his father's face and butchered them both before his eyes, had returned. And he did _this _to Ayame. And he wasn't going to stop!

"It's 3:42, kid. You have until 7:18, precisely when the sun sets. Come at me with the intent to kill. But since you've failed the first time, you're going to have to make up for it. _Everyone _needs to die this time. Including little Asia~ You do this and I will _gladly _give you the antidote."

He could feel it happening again. That chain binding him down as his emotions was flooding his mind. He couldn't think of anything other than to kill this man. That annoying limit when he got like this will render him into nothing more than a mad beast just like last night should he use his Sacred Gear _once. _He was tempted, so very tempted to just break it and unleash everything onto this monster. After knowing _what _his opponent was, he could consider _it _one of those threats that needed to be put down.

Was it worth destroying the city just to kill one man?

As though reading his thoughts, the monster could see it as well. His smile grew large enough to tear a shred of his mask. "Good. Good! There's the look I've been looking for! Now let's see if you've got some balls after all. Prove to me you deserve the title of Eighth Predator!"

Issei and Asia stared another in an instant. Asia was not afraid. Rather, her eyes were pleading with him to not go along with this. Not for her sake as it will likely lead to her death. But she was pleading at him to not transform into a monster; that should he go down this path, there will be no hope for salvation. Hyoudou Issei will be, forever, a monster.

Both the face-stealing monster and Asia sank into the ground, into their own shadows. And those shadows faded away as their hosts were no longer around to protect them from the light.

"Issei don't go!" pleaded Sona, almost desperately. "This is what I was talking about! This is what they want you to do. Give me time! I'll call Rias to get her and Himejima-san here. I'll call in my entire peerage. We can save Ayame if we all work on examining her!"

Perhaps her words never reached him. He stared at the space where the two disappeared from. His arms tightened around Ayame. "Sona, take care of Ayame. I need to do this."

"You don't need to do anything!" she shouted and threw her arms around him, trying to keep him pinned to the floor. She was shaking, and for the first time it wasn't because she was terrified of him. She was terrified _for _him. "Ise, if you do this… you'll become just like _them. _If you go and kill for vengeance, you will lose what you are. You will be nothing more than a killer, no longer someone who can sympathize with humanity. Don't you see this is what they want? They want to turn you into some_thing _that can kill without mercy.

"You are different from the other Predators! You still have your humanity! Dragon, Devil, _whatever _you are doesn't matter. You don't need this. You have the power to protect anyone you want. You don't need to surrender your soul to do this. You are already recognized as Eighth Predator. What else do you need? Why… Why else did you become a hero…?"

He listened. But his mind was already made long ago.

Sona knew this and so let her arms fall off. However, she pressed her brow against his back and gritted her teeth. "Ise… I don't want to lose my friend… I just got over my fears for you after all this time… Please don't make me fear you all over again."

With Ayame in his arms, Issei stood, leaving Sona on the floor. He did not look at her when he responded, "I became a hero because I was powerless to stop a monster from killing my parents. Because I couldn't stop that monster I couldn't prevent Ayame from suffering like this. I couldn't protect Asia because I'm _still _not strong enough. I just promised to protect her not ten minutes ago!

"I know what they're trying to make me become. I may be a Predator, but I'm one in name alone. As _Eighth Predator, _I am going in there to rescue Asia, to stop a monster from harming anyone else, and to save Ayame. And if I do come back different… if I have lost my way… I'm sorry."

Leaving her in silence, Issei brought Ayame back into the medical room and laid her on top of the bed. She was sweating heavily, shivering, and was more than likely unconscious. There was nothing he could do for her except to retrieve the cure, which he will do _at any cost. _Quickly, he prepared himself in his padded armor, taking up no less than five minutes as he had done this hundreds of times over the years.

When he went down into the basement, Sona was staring at his back from the end of the hallway.

*Scene*

"Wow dude, that's some pretty serious gear," Kiba Yuuto was the one to announce their presence as soon as Issei landed at the top of the hill. The Gremory peerage was waiting for his arrival with their own preparations made. Yuuto had his straight sword strapped to his hip, Koneko wearing padded gloves, and Akeno in a shrine maiden outfit. Rias stood in front of them with her hands on her hips, an eager smile plastered on her face.

Issei dismissed his Gift of Flight and approached them. They could all tell his casual behavior wouldn't be showing up tonight. "That's because I'm very serious about this. Are you here to stop me?"

"Far from it," Rias spoke up. "Sona may have given us a speed-run on the situation and asked us to bring you back, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do that. If my Pawn believes this is the right course of action, then as his King I will support it. Besides, I have a personal problem with those _crows _to settle."

"…Thank you, Buchou," Issei said sincerely. "However I would request you stay out of my way. I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire if things get serious. I can't guarantee I'll be able to control myself. Last time was a fluke."

The group had various expressions after recalling his berserk-like state last night. However, despite their grim features, Rias was the only one to give him a smile. "You have nothing to worry about. I have my utmost trust in you, but if it'll make you feel better then we'll only provide support. This is your show after all."

Issei would have smiled if he could. His mind currently was in battle-mode.

Rias turned towards her peerage. Her charisma sang true as a King, "Alright listen up everyone! You just heard it. We're going to offer Ise-kun support while he deals with the heavy hitters. Our objective is rescuing the sister Asia Argento, defeating the exorcist Freed Sellzen, and grabbing that cure for Nakashima-chan. Anyone who gets in our way is fair game. Understood?"

"Yes, Buchou!" the three Pieces declared.

Issei was already moving past them. He pressed his hand against the dense barrier surrounding the territory of the Church and pushed himself forward. It wasn't just designed to keep the mundane from witnessing supernatural events; it was also designed to keep individuals with weak wills and low power from entering. It was dark, striking fear into his heart and demanding him to leave. A person would need strong fortitudes and a certain amount of energy to resist its power.

It might as well have been made of paper to someone like Issei.

*Scene*

Of course slipping through the barrier announced their entry to everyone within the Church. Issei could detect several signatures of ill-intent coming from within, most of which were compressed together in a large mob in the catacombs underground. However, their first obstacles for the evening were a trio of Fallen Angels. One of which Issei recognized… but wouldn't be ashamed to admit had forgotten his name.

Dona-something.

They stood in a row, blocking their entry into the church.

"What a stupid move to make, Gremory," the male Fallen Angel with the fedora said. "You're trespassing on our territory. It's within our rights to get rid of you by any means necessary."

"Why bother letting them go now that they're here?" said the teenage-looking girl in the Lolita dress. "They're all here so we could, like, totally remove them in one swoop!"

"It'll be their fault anyways," shrugged the older woman. "We can say it was self-defense so the Devils won't have a reason to start a war with us. And if they attack us then our side can declare war on them."

Rias flicked her hair over her shoulder as she took a few steps forward without a care in the world. "As it so happens, it's within _my _rights to kick you out of here. While I was busy cleaning up _your _mess, I received a message from your higher ups at Grigory. They say they have no knowledge about your recent practices and so granted me the privilege to deal with you as I see fit. Seeing as you've harmed my Pawn more than once, I'm going to let him decide your punishment."

The Fallen Angels paled.

"N-No way!" screamed the blonde gothic girl. "They can't just sell us out like that!"

"Oh dear," chuckled Akeno as she pressed a hand to her cheek. "It would seem that they already have. Ise-kun, what's your decision?"

The area was silent as all eyes were drawn to the Hyoudou boy. The Fallen Angels tenses as they readied to defend themselves. Spears of light formed in their grips as each Fallen one took a personal stance of battle.

"…I don't have time for this," was Issei's answer.

The ground below his feet erupted as he kicked off faster than anyone could perceive. Dohnaseek, the Fallen Angel with the fedora, had been the only one prepared as he had experienced this high-speed movement before. While his counterparts were frazzled, despite how many times he told them the story, he moved forward and drove his spear of light to intercept.

His eyes widened when Issei deflected the spear with the back of his hand, only stinging his skin due to his Devil characteristics. It was his draconian nature that granted him high enough resistance to have the spear no better than a heated bulb. Before Dohnaseek could recover, Issei's hand drove forward.

It wasn't a fist to the face like last time. Issei didn't curl his fingers up and pierced his way through the Fallen Angel's chest. He grabbed the first organ he could touch— the heart— and pulled it out. Blood splattered everywhere as the Fallen Angel fell to his knees, reaching out for the boy in either an attempt to keep his footing or to try and harm.

Regardless, Issei was already moving before Dohnaseek could finish falling. He didn't bother to watch his body break into ash and feathers.

"Y-You…" grounded out the young woman in both shock and rage. "You bastard!"

At that, the remaining two Fallen Angels charged at Issei while he had his back exposed to them. He was ready for them. His mind already formulating a plan to counter them with the Defender stance and how to kill them with the least amount of time waste.

Yuuto intercepted the Lolita girl with his sword while Koneko flanked the woman. And while the two were distracted, Akeno unleashed bolts of lightning at them both.

"Ise, let's go!" Rias urged him as she came to his side. "They'll catch up with us later."

"Right, Buchou," Issei nodded and the two of them ran up the stairs and blew the doors open.

The Church had seen better days. Dust and grime littered everywhere, pillars were crumbled, pews were either rotten or had collapsed long ago, and the place was infested with insects and rodents.

And sitting on top of the altar, chewing on the body of one of the aforementioned rodents as though it were a loaf of bread, was the monster imposing as Freed Sellzen. His smile stretched his face out and he had far too many teeth— all of which were filed down as sharp as can be. As they approached, he took another bite of the dead rat, openly chewed to display the guts and bones he munched on, and tossed it aside. He stood, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and then clapped his hands in endearment.

"Hey so the little pussy shows up right on time… and what's this?! With the Devil slut who only has her tits for brains! How's it going?"

Issei stepped up, "Where's Asia!"

The monster's smile grew with excitement. Instead of answering, he responded with, "I like that look in your eyes. You _really _want to kill me! The Force is strong with you young Skywalker, but you are not yet a Jedi!"

"I think you've toyed with my Pawn long enough," the demonic energy of Rias' destructive affinity cackled in streams of crimson energy around her. Her hair and clothes flew around as her power rose. "I warned you about harming things that belong to me. If you die then the seal on your antidote will be undone. So go ahead and die!"

With a thrust of her palm, a large sphere of black and red demonic energy fired out of her hand. Freed didn't bother to move from his spot. In fact, he didn't bother to do anything. He continued to smile at her while the destructive spell struck him head-on. The blast sent a shockwave around the room, pushing pews around. It didn't affect Issei or Rias whatsoever.

Freed stepped out of the dust cloud as he dusted the debris off his clothes. His shirt was ruined with his chest heavily wounded in third-degree burns. However, like last night, the damage was being undone as his body ate away at the burnt flesh, forcing blood to ooze out in the process, and from that blood was new tissue fabricated. In a matter of seconds his body was back in peak shape.

"See, why don't you take a page from her book?" Freed whined like a child at Issei. "She totally has no problem killing me— put a lot of effort into that attack and everything. But you? What, just because you killed that one _schmuk _outside you think it's good enough for me to respect you as a Predator?"

Rias' brows creased. Both out of annoyance that her technique had little to no effect on the exorcist and due to her confusion on what he babbled about.

"Oh believe me, I will gladly kill you," Issei snarled. "After you tell me where Asia is."

"Uuuuggggghhhhhh…" Freed gripped his hair and groaned as loud as he could. "YOU'RE NOT GETTING IT! If you were a real Predator we wouldn't be having this conversation! Fuck! We wouldn't be _talking! _I took your shit, you're supposed to get pissed off and I'm supposed to be dead. There are no negotiations! THIS IS WHY EVERYONE FUCKS WITH YOU!"

Before Issei could make a remark, Freed put his finger to his lips in the universal gesture of silence. "Shh shh shh shh shh shhhhhhhhh. Listen. Do you hear that?" He put his hand up to his ear and moved his eyes around to emphasize some noise only he could hear around them. "No? Of course you can't. If you can't hear the whispers of the Ruler, telling you of the approaching dangers lurking around every corner, then it means HE DOESN'T RECOGNIZE YOU AS A PREDATOR!

"Are you even aware how bad of a _failure _you are?! You can't notice your surroundings, you can't tell when a threat is near, you can't follow the most efficient method to claim your target, and you couldn't find a target even if we put it on a fucking map! It's a fucking _miracle _your peanut-sized dick-brain managed to find us! _How _the World accepted you as Eighth is a fucking mystery!

"So it's obvious you don't have any of the Ruler's perks as a Predator. How do I know this?! Because I could have killed you _countless _times last night! Because I snuck into your house fucking twenty minutes ago! Because you don't terrify me with your overwhelming killing intent! You're supposed to be the ultimate killer; he who can kill _anything_ and _nothing_ may kill him, yet you're as useless as this red bitch holding your hand! All the powers needed to destroy the world over and over again and yet you don't know how to use it!

"Those pathetic, useless, lowly, insignificant, wads of _shit _that call themselves Fallen Angels should _not _have been able to kill you that night!"

Freed took in a deep breath of air. His high-pitch voice had shifted into his true voice as his rant went on. "So, _Predator, _kill me. Prove to me that you deserve the title of Eighth. Prove to me that you are one of the ultimate killers. But you know what, I already know you won't. Why? Because you're just a little bitch. So go ahead and continue holding back while that little Asia bitch dies!"

Issei had enough. He roared and charged at the face-stealing monster with everything he had. His speed nearly rocked Rias off her feet just by standing near him.

However, Freed brought his knee up and shoved it into Issei's gut just like he had done not an hour ago. "It's shit like this… If it didn't work the first time what made you think it'd work a second?!"

"It's because of THIS!"

Issei had been able to soften the blow by putting his hand in front of his torso in a feint. When Freed's knee met, he had been able to latch a powerful grip onto the exorcist. With a tug, Issei lifted the monster off the ground in a large arch over his body and slammed him back down with all his might. Freed's body crashed onto the tiled floor hard enough to cause the ground to quake. Were he a normal human, his bones would have shattered into thousands of fragments.

But Freed had proven himself to be able to match Issei's draconian enhancements.

"My boner's back!" he shouted while kicking Issei hard enough to send him flying through the air.

Issei flipped over and landed on his feet before hitting the wall. The old brick threatened to crumble apart and even Issei was gritting his teeth from the recoil. His chest ached from Freed's inhuman strength. He didn't have the luxury to worry about it and so had to force back the pain. Springing back into action, Issei launched himself off the wall Freed sent him towards, bringing it down at his kick-off.

Freed used the time to get back to his feet and draw two light swords from his coat. But before they clashed, Rias fired another destructive spell his way. Though it might not have had any effect on the exorcist, it still clouded his vision for a flash. It was a window just large enough for Issei to tackle him to the ground while bringing his fist to his face simultaneously. The ground shook once more by the impact.

Freed kicked him off, flipped to his feet, and charged with his swords slashing in an X-formation. Issei deflected both blows, being more harmed by the inhuman force of Freed's strikes than from the damage of the light-based weapons. With the Defender stance, Issei stood his ground, kept his footing from breaking, and countered each of Freed's attacks. The exorcist, in return, began swinging like the madman that he was. Each blow sent onto the other condemned the ground around them to quake and threaten to collapse into the underground catacombs.

"YOU'RE _STILL _NOT GETTING IT!" shouted Freed in outrage as their exchanges continued. "You're just fighting me! Not killing me! Don't expect to kill me by outsmarting me or having better skill! This isn't some shitty anime where all of a sudden you'll surpass me through some inner monologue— NO! Overwhelm me with your power, _Dragon Rider! _Show me that power you unleashed last night if you want to kill me! Bring it out if you want your whore of a little friend to live!"

"I don't need it to kill you!" Issei shouted back as he switched from Defender to a dual-fist Assaulter stance. Abandoning all defense, Issei drove his front foot forward and brought both fists into Freed's torso. Tile underneath them shattered as Freed was sent flying.

Freed crashed through a few remaining pews and pillars before skidding on the floor. He rolled a few times, dug his fingers into the marble strong enough to create gashes, and came to a halt. He stood; his chest was completely caved in with his back crooked. However, after taking a slow breath of air, Freed's chest expanded. The sound of snapping and _grinding _was heard.

"Please," he sassed and wiggled his finger in disappointment. "You hit me with something a hundred times greater than _that _last night. Ohhhhhhhhh, now I see! Even if you used that undeniable power you still won't kill me. Because you're a filthy _hero. _You care too much about preserving life and all that shit. No wonder you're no Predator.

"It's only after you lose everything are you truly free," the dark voice of the face-stealing monster echoed throughout the halls of the church. It made Issei's eyes widen with horror as he realized what those words meant. His heart stopped when Freed pulled out the black vial.

The vial with Ayame's cure.

"Wait," Issei's voice was barely a whisper.

But it didn't matter what he would try. Time slowed to a crawl as Freed crushed the vial in his hands. The liquid oozed out and dripped to the floor.

Issei fell to his knees as his strength was lost. He had failed. Without that cure, Ayame will die at sunset.

He should have taken Sona's offer. No doubt at the moment she was trying to cure Ayame anyways. But maybe if Rias and Akeno were there as well they could have figured something out.

"You…" Rias gritted her teeth as her demonic energy spiked, surpassing her previous output by leagues. The air shook, rattled the foundations of the church, and crimson electricity sparked everywhere. "How dare you play with my Pawn like this! You've toyed with his emotions long enough! And to do this to an innocent little girl?! I'll never forgive you!"

With two hands, Rias unleashed a powerful _beam _of crimson and black energy. The room smelled of sulfur as everything within its path was obliterated.

Freed clicked his tongue in annoyance. With a grip to his light sword and a quick swipe, blood exuded out of his open hand. He raised it towards the direction of the oncoming attack.

Rias was shocked by what she saw. Her attack should have reduced him to cinders— no, it should have left nothing but a gaping hole taking two-thirds of his body. Instead, her beam had splashed out and flailed everywhere as though it were a stream of water hitting a wall.

…Which was what it was. When the power of her spell dwindled, a wall of _blood _was separating the two. It wasn't a dense layer as she could see through it, but it had, somehow, been strong enough to halt her spell of _destruction. _Nothing save for the more powerful of magic barriers could stop her family magic!

Passively, as though it were a chore, Freed swayed his hand to the side. The wall of blood followed his movements, compressed into a ball, and launched itself away from the three of them. It crashed into the altar and continued to travel to the far wall, crumbling the both of them.

"You missed your chance, kid," he said to Issei without so much as acknowledging Rias. "I told you to come at me as Eighth Predator and you couldn't even do that. Allllllllllll the way out here at the edge of the city, where the casualties would be at a minimum, and yet you _still _didn't do that. You lost. Your so-called sister is going to die because of you. And now, since you wasted more than enough time for the ritual to be completed, so will Asia. If you had come at me as Eighth Predator, this could have been avoided."

He gestured towards the broken altar, where a path of stairs had been kept hidden. "Go see for yourself. Go see how badly you fucked up. But hey, just to throw in some hope in there, 'cause I'm a good sport and all that, you probably have about thirty seconds to save Asia. I doubt you'll make it though."

Indeed, hope had surged through Issei. There was still Asia to save!

"Ise, go! I'll hold him off!" said Rias.

Issei was already gone. His wings blazed alive as he flew down the stairs in a flash of light. The sound of rumbling was heard as he was crashing around blindly through an unknown territory.

"…Asia's already dead, isn't she?" Rias narrowed her eyes.

"Yuuuuuuup," Freed confirmed. He then began laughing heartily. "The little dick actually bought it! Did you see the look on his face?! That shit was fucking hilarious! He actually believes he can save her!"

Once again, Rias' energy swirled around as her rage was getting the best of her. Her hands clenched tight with lightning cackling fierce enough to tear apart her surroundings. A storm was brewing with her at the center.

"Buchou!" Akeno shouted as she flew inside with the others in tow. Their fight had just finished.

"I'm going to obliterate you," Rias began.

"Neat," the exorcist sassed with a toothy grin as though it were a joke.

*Scene*

Issei could only sense life within one area. He flew around the dark underground tunnels using only his alternative senses to 'see' where he was going. Several times, because of his speed, he ran into walls he didn't see. But he always bounced off of them and willed his wings to keep him going. After nearly endless twists and turns, Issei had found the room he was looking for.

He burst through the massive stone doors. Rather, he broke them in his charge.

The room was a large audience chamber used for who-knows-what during the time the church was still active. It was carved out of the rock with rows of pillars, torch stands, a large stairway with hundreds of steps, and a stone altar with a large stone cross at the top. From his loud appearance, heads of hordes of priests and sisters in black robes turned to him. Nothing but malicious intent radiated from him as soon as they sensed he was a Devil. There was nothing less than a hundred exorcists who were previously chanting prayers for a ritual before he showed up.

"Well if it isn't Ise-kun."

At the top of the stairs, flying over everyone else, was the Fallen Angel Issei had the misfortune of falling in love with. The one who pretended to be his girlfriend, Amano Yuuma, looked down at him with a mixture of amusement and pity. Raynare, as was her name, held two small trinkets in her hands that gave off a familiar green glow.

…Because they were familiar. They were the Sacred Gears of Asia.

Hanging from the stone cross with chains binding her arms and waist, was Asia. She stared forward in his direction, but it was a wonder if she could see him. Her skin was so ghastly pale it was as though all the blood had been drained from her. And her eyes were so distant there might not have been a soul dwelling within. As though such speculations were true, her body sagged forward, lifelessly, only being suspended by the chains.

Issei couldn't move. "No…"

"Sorry but you're a little late," Raynare said to him though her interest better focused on the rings. He lifted them up to gaze at them with wondrous awe. "And now Twilight Healing is _mine! _This is the power that I craved for a long time! With this, I will be loved."

She brought it back down to her chest. Issei watched as the rings entered her, coursed through her body, and materialized onto a finger on each hand. She smiled in pure ecstasy, "I finally have it. With this I can become a supreme Fallen Angel! With this I can payback all those who were looking down on me!"

Issei didn't know when he moved. Perhaps it was from his subconscious mind, but his Gift of Flight transported him over the heads of the exorcists and past Raynare at the speed of a thought. He was just reaching out for Asia at the entrance and in an instant he was floating before her. With his draconian strength, he crushed the links binding her and released her.

"H-How in the…?!" Raynare was startled by his sudden disappearance and was twice so to find he had slipped by her.

He slowly drifted down with Asia. Kneeling, he let her rest with her head in his arms. "A-Asia…"

"…Ise…?" he almost couldn't hear her even with his heightened hearing. Her head turned slightly in his direction but her eyes couldn't find him. It was the last spark of life Asia could muster.

Her body went limp after that. All life within her faded from his senses.

Twice, he had failed.

Issei couldn't stop the tears from falling.

A howl of agonizing defeat echoed throughout the chambers, belonging to one who had lost everything.

And the chain he had refused to break came undone. The primal beast that was Hyoudou Issei was awakened once more.

*Scene*

_**To the Dragon Rider,**_

Once again Issei found himself inside the ceaseless storm of hatred molded by his predecessors.

_**If you are reading this, then you have met Asia Argento. I had placed a blessing on her to have the two of you encounter before her demise. There is a scheme initiating and I will not deny I am a part of its involvement. I shall admit I am one of its architects. As you may have guessed, it involves the death of the girl who is asking for your protection.**_

Once again, they raged against him. Trying to crush him and surrender his authority as the current wielder of the Boosted Gear so they may chance their resurrection. A pointless effort, but that didn't stop them from trying. They wanted his body; they wanted his power. They wanted to obtain what was refused, what he had achieved when they could not.

_**Asia will die. The efforts of I, the Fourth, and the Sixth are going to make it so. It is a plan all others of our kind are aware of as well. You may hate us. You may deny us. You may never forgive us. I accept this. However, I encourage you to try and stop us. I believe this is something you can accomplish. **_

Issei didn't bother to fight back. He just let them try to destroy him. Their attempts kept coming, over and over. He did not bother to bring his wings out to cheat. He accepted their hatred and jealousy.

_**We have been manipulating you for quite some time. It has come to our attention that you are not fully acknowledged as one of us. This has been realized when the seven of us have unanimously detected the approach of carnage, yet our examinations have noticed you have not. You may be recognized by the system that is the World as one, but we have found according to what Sir Rolan calls 'The Ruler' does not, and therefore have your liberties and privileges locked. You may be able to match us in potential destruction, but you lack the mindset to use your potential. All of our efforts have been in an attempt to have this mindset unlocked, yet all our efforts thus far have been for naught. And so, we have come up with the demise of Asia Argento.**_

But let it be known he was not being crushed. They battered at him as though they could hurt him. Nothing could be further from the truth. Their infernos of torrents were nothing more than warm breezes from the afternoon wind. If anything, he pitied them.

_**You will be broken in this trial, of that I am sure. This may make you into the monsters you swore to defeat. This may make you into a greater hero. But be warned, you will not be the same ever again. Such is the burden of one who achieves the title of Predator.**_

Finally, he had enough. He lifted his hand. In just a simple gesture, he commanded them to stop.

_**If she has not told you, then I shall. Asia is branded as a heretic by the Church and was forced to flee from her home. She has nowhere else to go. That is not all. Upon a most recent inquiry from one of our kind, I have found Asia Argento bares the same horrid origin as you do. The villain who made you into a Predator today was the same who took the lives of Asia's parents. If you are willing, please do not share this with her. She believes her mother could not keep her as she was left at an orphanage at an age too early for her to remember.**_

And suddenly, the storm stopped.

_**Though I have asked you to fulfill your duties as a Predator, I shall contradict myself and beg of you to ignore this. As soon as you have finished this letter, please run away with Asia. Please protect her until I am able to retrieve her. I beg this of you not as Third the Divine Beast, but as Amelia Rosewood, as a human being to another. She was chosen for this trial of yours because she has no one to live for. She is alone, scared, and heartbroken. But her soul is nothing but kind with not a drop of darkness within her. Hers is truly a most pure soul who does not deserve such a fate.**_

"Do you know who I am?!" he shouted, and they listened.

_**Asia needs love, of which I am sure you can provide her with. I am sure she will return that love immediately. If you can do this, I shall grant you any blessing when I am able to. Despite our indifferences, and despite our last poor departure, I acknowledge your pure heart and valor of a hero. I trust you, Issei Hyoudou.**_

Now his wings blazed. Not out of necessity or desire to escape from this metaphorical space. He let them shine as proof of who he was. As a defeater of a Primordial Dragon. As the one who defeated the Red Dragon Emperor. As the one who had inherited all of his heavenly powers when they could not.

_**I am sorry for placing this burden on your lap. I shall pray for you both. Until we meet again,**_

"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" he shouted once more, loud enough to transcend the explosive roaring of their previous attempts. Within this vast ocean of red and fire, he was but a speck of dust. Yet he bore more voice, more power, more authority, more _presence _than this infinite space. His rage transcended their collective amount.

_**Serene of Finland; Third Predator, the Divine Beast.**_

He needn't say a word. His eyes alone could dictate his requirements.

The silence was thunderous. The world of crimson and fire came to a halt as the boy's charisma transcended anything they could create. Their rage, their hatred, their jealousy, their envy, their wrath— all of these things paled in comparison to the lone boy whose magnificence shattered their resilience with but one look.

One fell to their knees and bowed in obedience.

Another followed and swore allegiance to this greater being.

Another.

Another.

Another.

Then they all fell to their knees, almost in fear of being seeing as the last one to swear to fealty else suffer the wrath of one who bears the power of the heavens. They, who were but lowly mortal men, despite their grandeur when they were alive, could never hope to defeat this otherworldly potency.

And Hyoudou Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor, so declared with a Voice of Power, **"I am—"**

*Scene*

Issei shut Asia's eyes before putting her to rest on the floor. He folded her hands over her chest so to have it look she was peacefully sleeping. But her face was permanently frozen in one of torment, who had suffered before she died. He had seen that look before. He could never forget. He will never forgive. There was truly nothing worse than having the last moments of life filled with nothing but agony. Nothing but darkness and malevolence forced into their souls as they begged for a mercy that will never come.

And there was nothing worse than to die alone. To never know if there was someone who would miss them. Asia, a girl who had been alone her entire life, far longer than he, could never know there was something for her to return to. She, who had found a place in the Church, had been abandoned and _twice _left to the darkness of the world. Issei had found her, had sworn to protect her, and _thrice _she was taken from her welcomed hospitality.

And he had the power to prevent this. But he didn't use it. Why? Because he was worried for the lives of others? Because he was afraid of losing control? Because he believed he could have saved her the _right and noble _way? Because he thought he could be a hero?

No, none of these were the real reasons.

He didn't want to be like the monster that made him what he was today. He didn't want to be unable to look at himself in the mirror morning after morning. He didn't want to see the face-stealing monster staring back in the mirror. He didn't want to become a monster that killed indiscriminately whenever someone or something hurt him. But because of this fear, too many people had suffered due to his ignorance.

He had failed because he had tried to be the exact opposite of the villain. Because he refused to kill unless it was absolutely necessary. But now? Now he didn't care. He could no longer care if people got caught up in the crossfire. Asia, a girl who had suffered loneliness her entire life, and Ayame, a girl who had found a sliver of hope but to only be retched from her, were beyond salvation.

So then, if they couldn't live, why should his enemies?

Issei rose to his feet, all eyes upon him.

If being the hero didn't solve his problems, then maybe being the monster he so horrendously hated was the solution.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked with his voice unnaturally calm.

Raynare stared in confusion. He had been crying like such a pathetic human— well, he was anyways, reincarnated Devil or not— and then all of a sudden he snaps out of it. It was a shame; she really liked to see him suffer like that. It made him look pretty cute to have such a look of disparity. Too bad he was just as crazed as Freed.

"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" He said a little louder with his body turning to face her.

Raynare's mind nearly broke when she looked into those eyes. She was petrified. She was staring at Death itself. Not an Ultimate Grim Reaper, not a totally pissed off Azazel, not a wrathful Michael— she was looking at **Death**.

The exorcists had various effects. Many collapsed, fainting after getting a look from those eyes. Many whimpered. Many released their bowels. Some had the brilliance to shove another out of the way as they ran. But most were just frozen in place like her.

Red armor began to materialize around him. It appeared out of the very air, snatched onto his body in perfect fitting, sprouting golden spikes and horns where appropriate and glowing green gems of immaculate gloss. Even with the helmet donned did his stare continue to have an effect on those targeted.

Raynare realized she had made a grave mistake. She had obtained the vengeance of the Red Dragon Emperor.

His wings sprouted from his back. Not just two— _six. _His Devil wings sprouted and extended outward at three meters length. They were as black as the void and engrossed the light around them, filling the room with an unnatural darkness that was just…_ wrong_. Then, there were the flaming wings blasting out of his shoulder blades like the flames of a green sun and all the cosmos channeling from his soul. Last, there were the large geometric florescent _breathing _cracks in space that weren't so much as manifested wings into the physical realm as much as they were windows into the infinite nonexistence.

Like windows into the Dimensional Gap…

And then there was the **power. **Power radiated off of his being in leagues where Raynare thought she was being choked by the hand of death. His energy was so dense it was causing the ground to crack, the fires to go out, fabrics to be torn, and the air to solidify. Those standing helplessly at the foot of the stairs collapsed to the ground as though an enormous weight hammered down without warning. Their bodies _liquefying _as a buzz of vibration swept through the room. And those just far enough fell to their knees as they threw up pools of blood, dying quickly thereafter.

Yet Asia's body remained untouched. Was it because his back was turned against her? Or was it because he was only directing his aura towards his enemies?

With a voice filled with **power**, he announced his identity onto the world for all to hear it. **"I am Eighth Predator, the Dragoon!"**

He did not so much as move as he just… _warped _space and time to do his bidding.

No one could say what happened or how he had done it. In one frame of existence recorded by the concept of time, he had been standing at the top of the altar. In the next, as though all of existence itself had blinked, he was standing in the center of the hordes of exorcists.

Or at least what remained of them.

Nothing remained but a mist of blood so thick only the glow of his green eyes could be seen. The blood just floated there, suspended in the air because the laws of gravity had yet to take effect. When it did, it rained for many seconds.

It had been so instant Raynare could have sworn she must have blacked out for some time. But she didn't. She had been fully conscious the entire time. It was just so unreal her mind couldn't register what had happened.

She didn't have to. With everyone else dead, there was nothing to divert the Ultimate Killer's attention. She knew what he was. She had never heard of Predators or anything of the sort before. But from revealing who he was, his words had been filled with mystic if not cosmic power fueled by all the resources the world had to offer. As though God's System was activating some innate program to tell her of the unbearable danger he was. It was within her deepest, most primal base of instincts that told her there was nothing that could kill him.

And there was nothing he couldn't kill.

Twilight Healing was useless against a force like this.

*Scene*

"Heh heh heh heheheheheh…" cackled the face-stealing monster.

At some point, the entire ceiling of the sanctuary had collapsed in their battle. No one was sure who had been the one to send it coming down. It didn't matter as a few tons of cement and brick didn't stop them from trying to kill Freed Sellzen.

The exorcist had been beaten, bashed, burned, _obliterated, _shocked, sliced— had been given nearly every possible wound on the battlefield and yet his regeneration restored him to his prime. His stamina seemed endless as he continued to fight with enough speed and strength to overwhelm them despite their advantage in numbers.

The Gremory peerage was growing weary. They suffered wounds of their own and their stamina and demonic energies were running low. They were slowing down, their teamwork becoming choppy, and were quickly receiving more wounds than they could deliver.

Yet, as Rias gritted her teeth in agitation, it felt like Freed was _holding back._

The fight came to a halt when Freed did not go in for the opening he made for Akeno. He dropped his weapons, placed his hands onto his stomach, and began chuckling to himself.

And then it became throaty, roaring, and loud enough to be heard at the foot of the hill. "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! HE'S DONE IT! AT LAST YOUR TRANSFORMATION IS COMPLETE! I FINALLY RESPECT YOU AS EIGHTH!"

Rias made a sharp intake of air. What did that mean? What did it mean for someone to become a 'Predator'? From what she could gather, Issei could only be seen a part of this… club if, and only if, he performed some atrocious murder. Something greater than what he had done to the Fallen Angel just outside.

…Did it mean Issei had to become just as senile and disgusting as Freed?

As if on cue, the pile of rubble blocking the entry to the lower levels was blown away from the inside. Stepping up into the surface was Issei with bags under his eyes… and the light no longer shining in his eyes. Over his shoulder was the body of Asia in a pure white dress.

…And being dragged up the stairs by her hair was the Fallen Angel, Raynare. A crazed look in her eyes spoke volumes on how badly broken she had become. Her clothes and skin was soaked in blood, yet, strangely, there was not a wound on her. Rias couldn't imagine what happened.

"…Ise," her heart only went towards her Pawn. The look in his eyes… it was one who had lost hope, who had done unspeakable evils and was going to have to live with them for the rest of his life.

Her mind was racing, hoping, he had not become what she was dreading.

He didn't respond. Issei dragged Raynare far enough and dropped her to the ground. She whimpered and tried to crawl away from him in all haste. She was rendered to nothing but a bumbling mess.

"Don't get too far from me," he said as though he were scolding a dog let off the leash.

She shrieked at the sound of his voice, but obeyed. She stopped crawling but tucked her knees to her chest. Her eyes never looking away from him as though the quickest blink will be just enough time for him to unleash horrors onto her.

"W-Whoa…" Yuuto didn't know what else to say.

"…Not a hunter…" said Koneko as she took a few steps back upon reflex. "…A… _predator_."

"…Oh dear…" Akeno gave a weary and sad sigh as her smile faltered.

They watched as Issei pulled Asia off his shoulder and let her rest on top of a large chunk of rubble, the only smooth surface and one large enough for her body. He fixed the positions of her hands and legs. With a sad and bitter look, he combed the hair out of her face.

And the face-stealing monster was watching his actions with euphoric awe. His mouth hung open with the biggest grin so far and a finger pressed against his right dimple.

Issei didn't acknowledge anyone else just yet. Leaving Asia, he made his way back towards Raynare. The Fallen Angel shrieked and tried to make herself into a smaller target. But she did not disobey his previous command with fear rich in her eyes.

He bent down and extended his hand to her. "Give it back."

Raynare knew what he was talking about. Her hands clutched together as she gripped the twin rings between her fingers.

Twilight Healing, Rias realized. She somehow managed to steal the Sacred Gear from Asia. It would also explain why she was covered in blood without a scratch on her. And it would explain why she was so terrified of Issei to the point of being nothing more than a shell of her former self. Issei must have broken her— killed her and had her revived countless times. To give up Twilight Healing would mean giving up her life.

Issei pressed, "I'm not going to kill you. You don't deserve it. Now return her Sacred Gear."

His words spoke truth. But they were filled with such spite Rias couldn't believe they were coming from Issei. Frightfully, with clumsy shaking hands, Raynare removed the rings and placed them in Issei's hands. She let the rings drop into his hold, refusing to touch him as though his skin would burn like acid.

Issei stood back up. His eyes narrowed down at her. "You are going to live, Raynare. But your life is on borrowed time. I want you to live every day knowing I can come for you at any moment. I want you to return from whatever hole you crawled out of and tell your friends what happened here today. Tell them if I so much as see a Fallen Angel in my territory, they will go through the same as you did. And when I feel like it, I will come to kill you. So live in fear every day, knowing any second can be your last. Now get out of my sight."

She didn't need any further words. Her wings fluttered open and she took off in all haste.

"Ise…" Rias tried once more.

He didn't say anything. Issei moved back to Asia and placed the Twilight Healing rings on her respective fingers. His hands lingered on hers for a moment before he forced himself to break away. The pain in his eyes spoke leagues that none will ever understand.

"Rias," though his voice was just as strong as it had always been, there was something different about him that was undeniable. His tone was sharp, almost painfully so. Like someone will little tolerance who will outright destroy anyone who would question him. "Yuuto. Koneko. Akeno. You should leave. He's not something you will be able to kill no matter what you try."

Freed cackled again in jovial bliss. "Oh really?! Go on and tell me why you think so. Well, I already know the answer, but I just want to hear you say it! Go on! Tell me, oh great EIGHTH PREDATOR!"

"Ise," Rias urged, "I can't just leave you. I am your King! I will never forgive myself if I abandon you!"

Issei gave a tired sigh, a sigh so filled with experience of one who had aged considerably. "I can hear it now. I can tell where everyone is. If I focus on who I want to kill, I can find the location of anyone in the world. I can sense the different levels of dangers directed onto me, both direct and indirect, both close and far away. And I can tell how dangerous you are. And I can tell how much effort will be needed to kill you."

"Go on," the priest's smile widened to the point where his face wrinkled. "Tell me. How much?"

Issei's eyes narrowed. "…It would be mutual destruction. Am I correct, Fourth?"

Once more the priest laughed loud enough to shake the air. He brought his head up as to laugh at the heavens, perhaps to mock God. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yesyesyesyesyesyes YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS! Quick question. What gave my identity away?"

"The letter," Issei said matter-of-factly. "Only Third, Fourth, and Sixth were active in his. Then there was the use of blood magic when we fought. And you asked Sona what the difference between blood and water was. Not to mention you reek of blood from a nearly endless amount of signatures. It was painfully obvious you were the Vampire."

"Well then," Rias pushed herself to channel her demonic energy. Seeing their leader prepare for another fight, the Gremory peerage readied themselves as well. "If we can't kill you, and if Issei says it'll be mutual destruction, then we'll offer support until he can kill you!"

"Don't bother, Buchou," Issei stepped forward and put a hand on hers. "It'll still be mutual destruction. And this is my problem; I can't allow you to get involved."

Freed choked one more laugh, "Hey, tits for brains, you're the one who doesn't understand! Don't you see that _you're _the ones protecting _me?! _I bet as soon as you left he'll have no excuse to hold back. That as soon as you're away he and I will fight to the death. And if I kill you, then he'll go all out. Isn't that right, Dragoon?"

Issei didn't say anything other than to give a nod.

"Well~" Freed adjusted what remained of his coat and switched to a much more relaxed stance. Though they could feel he wasn't any less dangerous. "I've no desire to die today. So I'll be off. Take care, kid. Good luck living with yourself for the rest of your life, what with being the reason two virgin sweethearts are dead and all that. I'll be seeing you at the upcoming apocalypse."

"You think you can just—" Rias' anger flared as the one who caused her Pawn so much pain was just _waltzing _out without answering for his crimes. However, Issei squeezed her hand. His was shaking.

The look of pain he was trying so hard to bite back ached her heart. She couldn't help but squeeze his hand in return.

"Hold on," Issei said as he released her and took a few more steps towards Freed. He was close enough to shake the man's hand if he so chose. "There's something else."

"Hmmmmmmmm?" Freed stretched out the sound along with an over-exaggerated eyebrow being raised. "What else can I do for—"

_**THOOM!**_

A crimson beam fired out of Issei's fist so quick and fierce no one had been able to react in time. He moved faster than they could have perceived, even Freed was unaware. The beam annihilated Freed's head, pierced through the barrier, continued to travel, created a hole in the sky to see the darkness of space for a moment, and _continued _to travel.

Issei lowered his hand, which was covered in his draconian gauntlet. In a second it dissipated into the air, return Issei his normal hand.

Freed's body began to morph. The slim and physique figure of the exorcist faded away, rather it was like it was being erased as if it shouldn't have been there to begin with. Replacing it was the form of a fat man nearly seven feet tall. His body took a few steps back— not from the force of the Issei's strike, but because it was _laughing! _The rotten vocations of the inhuman being echoed throughout the area without its head.

As had his previous wounds, so too did the head regenerate. They watched in revulsion as blood sprouted from his neck, spun around like thousands of red strings, and began weaving itself into flesh. They watched the spine, the membrane, the skull, the brain, the muscles, veins, everything that which makes up a head regrow.

A pair of red and black marbled eyes gazed down at Issei with amusement. "Good. Very good. There wasn't a shred of killing intent in that attack. I didn't expect it. What made you do that?"

"…I wanted to see what you really looked like," Issei answered. "Now I know what the monster I'm going to kill one day looks like."

His smile, far too large to be structurally possible, stretched to shine his hundreds of razor teeth. "I look forward to it. But now if you'll excuse me, I've got places to be, lives to ruin, shit to steal, and villages to pillage. Both women and actual villages. So long, _hero_."

With a wiggle of his fingers in salute of departure, the shadows around him grew until the light could no longer shine on his form. Nothing save for his glowing red and black eyes could be seen. And then, as the shadows dispersed, all traces of his existence vanished.

*Scene*

As soon as Fourth Predator the Vampire left, Issei's body fell as though the strings keeping up upright were cut. His drive to keep going was gone. His spirit was broken.

Yuuto had caught him. Even the tired and wounded Knight had just enough strength to assist Issei. He hefted an arm over his shoulder to have better support of the Pawn. They looked at another; Yuuto had a sad smile that spoke of one who understood the desire for revenge yet lacked the ability to see it through. He knew Issei's pain. Issei returned the look with a sad smile of his own.

However, he couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Unexpectedly, Koneko approached him, looked up at him with a similar gloomy expression, and, with great indecision, wrapped her arms around his waist. She might not be able to understand what that was about, but she understood her teammate was going through something that will forever leaving him scarred. It made her remember her own past; so just this once she will comfort someone who thought he was alone, _reminding _him that he wasn't.

And Akeno came from his back. She wrapped her arms over his shoulders and pressed his head against her bosom. As he cried, she cradled his head and stroked his hair. Yuuto and Koneko were not the only ones who understood his pain. Perhaps none of them will be able to fully grasp what he was going through, but they had all gone through their personal hell.

This was a family of damaged goods. But a family nonetheless. They will always stick together, love, and support another for as long as time allows.

"…B-Buchou, everyone, thank you for fighting with me…" Issei cried his heart out. "But still… even with all your help… I couldn't protect anyone… Asia and Ayame…"

The group was silent as they let him cry on.

Rias was the only one to not comfort her Pawn. She could have, but she had something better on her mind. While he was wallowing in despair, Rias was performing a ritual over Asia's body. Something so valuable and costly she couldn't afford to do it upon any individual. She rarely granted life onto those who had already passed on, but she was willing to make an exception this time. Her Pawn was hurting. It was her duty to alleviate as much pain from him as possible.

"I order, in my name Rias Gremory, you, Asia Argento. I resurrect you back to this soil as my servant and have you reborn as a Devil. You, my Bishop, be delighted with your new life!"

Issei stopped crying when his senses detected the presence of a new individual. He had thought his new Predator perks were just fooling with him. But when his eyes moved over towards his King, he saw the faintest glimmer of red light of a fading magic.

Asia took a breath as though it were her first. Her eyes fluttered open.

Issei watched in amazement and disbelief at the same time. He watched as Asia blinked a few times, sat up, and examined her surroundings.

Their eyes met. "Ise…? H… How?"

"Asia…" Issei let the tears fall once more. The Pieces let him go free to her. He nearly stumbled over his feet but reached her quickly. Without warning, he embraced her and pulled her onto her feet. "Asia… I'm so sorry… I promised to protect you and I couldn't do it. No, I _wouldn't. _Please forgive me."

Asia, bewildered at first but then began to piece together what was going on, returned the hold with her arms reaching around him. She pressed her head against his chest and let her own tears start to fall.

"Ise," Rias spoke up. She didn't want to break up this reunion, but there was a more pressing matter to deal with. "You should go home. There's someone else who needs you right now…"

A cold shiver went through both Asia and Issei's mind. They hadn't forgotten what had happened. But the truth hurt more than the deaths the two Devils had experienced combined.

"Go," Rias urged on. "We'll take care of everything from her."

"…Buchou," Issei turned to look at her. His tears kept falling though he was looking at her with a smile that could rival the radiance of the sun. "Thank you…"

Those beautiful florescent wings blazed through his clothing at his command. Holding on to Asia just a little tighter, he was gone in a blink of light.

*Scene*

Issei climbed up the stairs of his basement with his hand holding Asia so she could move through the darkness. Rather, he was holding her hand because he needed the smallest slither of comfort. He was shaking. He had cried so much the tears could no longer come, yet he continued to weep. His steps were heavy and everything in his body was screaming at him to walk no further. That he will lose his mind if he continues on. That he will regret every morning from here on out if he walked into that room and told the one he loved as a sister that she was going to die.

Because he had failed.

He moved anyways, pushing the door open and daring to not blink away at the light. He needed to push himself forward else he would never proceed forward. Almost expecting his arrival, Sona was waiting for him with her back resting against the wall. The rare sight of her without her glasses spoke of her exhaustion, both spiritual and mental.

She didn't need to look at him to discover the outcome of his crusade. "…There's nothing we can do. I called my sister and… not even the team she sent could do anything. At best they could identify the cause if given enough time, which we don't have. There are no visible symptoms other than her blood turning black. When we tried to recycle her blood, it came back with a vengeance. It's something we've never seen before… and no amount of magic can touch her this time. It's pure anti-magic. We aren't able to bring her to the Underworld for better examination.

"The best we've been able to do is calm her down," she said with a beat sigh. "But she's fading away fast. Sooner than predicted. I don't know if this is because of her blood loss or because the illness grew stronger after our attempts. She should be awake… I think she needs you right now more than anything… Before she…"

Sona wouldn't dare finish those words.

"…Thank you, Sona," Issei said with a defeated tone. His steps were heavier after hearing her. They dragged along the floor before coming to a halt right at the medical room's entrance.

He took a deep breath and forced down his emotions.

He knocked, entered, and shut the door behind him. He couldn't allow anyone else to enter, not even Sona or Asia. For her, for his closest friend, he put on his brightest smile.

But such radiated only a dying flame…

Ayame turned her head when he sat down at the bedside. Her skin was chalk-white with her veins shining an incongruous black. "Ise-nii…"

"Hey, how's it going?" he asked as he slipped his hand into hers. Despite his best efforts, despite his warm and loving smile, he could not stop his hand from shaking. He gripped it tightly as his fears were eating away at his mentality. He could feel death clinging on to her, trying to pull her away. And so he held her hand with the intention of never letting go, as though death would be unable to take her.

But, with all the cosmic powers of the universe at his disposal, Issei could only kill. He could not preserve or create life.

Such was the burden of a Predator, as the Divine Beast had said.

At his question, Ayame still had the strength to give him the glare that made him question his own intelligence. "…Really?"

Issei gave a very bitter laugh. His lips were twitching. He was ready to cry once more. But he couldn't make Ayame sad.

"Issei," Ayame breathed his name out. Her veins pulsed. She looked more like a statue crumbling apart than a healthy twelve-year-old girl. "…Thank you."

"W-Wha…?" Issei blinked. "A-Ayame, I… I… I couldn't…"

"…Not that, stupid," she gave him another of her glares. She shut her eyes for a moment to draw on her diminishing strength. With a painful intake of breath, she opened her eyes and began, "Thank you for granting my wish."

Issei didn't move. He couldn't. He couldn't understand _why _she was mentioning this of all times.

"I asked for a friend… and I got… _you,_" she said as though it were a major disappointment. "I wished for a friend… and I got one. I was never lonely when you came over. You were a disgusting lolicon… but I still liked you. It only cost me my soul… and I would have sold it again if I had to."

Issei started crying. He gripped her hand with both his hands. Her cold, stone cold, hand.

Her eyes traced down to where he was touching. She couldn't feel it. But she wouldn't tell him this. "You were more than I asked for… Instead of someone to just talk to when I was bored… I got someone who cared for me. Someone who always tried to make me happy. Someone who asked _me _to care for you just as you did. Someone who understood me…

"Thank you for being more than a friend, Ise-nii. Thank you for being my brother."

Ayame looked away as she couldn't peer at him any longer. Not that she could properly see him anyways. Her vision was blurry as every fiber of her being burned. Yet she lacked the strength to express that pain.

Regardless, she didn't want to see her brother cry. It was a pathetic sight.

…And she didn't want him to see her cry.

"Ise-nii…" Ayame sighed once more. "Will you… lie with me…?"

Issei sniffed, "Y-Yeah. Sure thing Ayame."

She couldn't move, so he had to adjust her so he could squeeze into the bed with her. Her pain flared with every movement, but she was glad she didn't have it in her to gasp or flinch. She wanted him to see she was going to die peacefully.

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. She couldn't feel it, but she knew what he was doing.

Suddenly, the pain just went away. It was still there, but she was able to block it out as her heart was warmed.

Truly, Issei cared about her. And, for once, she was not alone.

"Onii-chan," she said as she shut her eyes, taking in his loving embrace. She smiled, the first she had made in so many years. And a single tear fell from her eye. "I love you."

"…I love you too Ayame."

Bliss swept through Ayame by his words. There was no pain. There was nothing else except for the warm of his body and the passion so deep it reached down to her soul. She would never deny she was frightened of death. She wanted to live forever with her brother.

But… if she could be loved like this… she could at least go in peace.

No matter how much he wanted to be, Issei could not keep himself conscious any longer. He was exhausted beyond words. He was suffering wounds from his skirmishes with the Fourth from both today and last night. And there was the massive energy drain when using his ultimate power. No matter how much he willed it, his body could not obey his command.

Be that as it may, the mind of a Predator was still active. Though his body was resting as it held closely to the one he loved, he could keep track of those within his surroundings. Asia was crying behind the door. Sona was still standing in the doorway. A few members of her peerage were in the living room. He had been able to notice Rias and the others appearing via teleportation circle in the dining area. They wandered around, asking questions, but never daring to enter.

And he listened to the faint heartbeat of Ayame. At how it slowed to a crawl with each passing minute.

She was happy, of that he was sure. He had seen the smile before she too fell to slumber.

And she had died in serenity, filled with more than enough love to fade into the abyss in peace.


	6. Monster or Hero?

**A message from the author!**

Phew! Hello everyone and thank you for reading! I'm back! Shamefully I will admit I've read next to NOTHING about the light novel. I am... only... at volume five...

I blame Dark Souls and Destiny. For those of you who sent me a message thinking you played with me on Dark Souls, the answer is yes. My Fanfic name and PSN name are the same. Feel free to send a friend request so long as you say where you're from.

Next, some advertisement. So since a few people replied, I decided to create a forum. Officially, on this night, it is open! The link is on my page if any of you want to check it out. It has the bare minimum, but feel free to start a topic of your own.

Next, some replies to reviews.

Currently I am in discussion with some people on what to do with Ayame. Though it's still up in the air whether she'll be back or not. It entirely depends if we find a good plot for her to be in. Honestly, I can't promise she'll be back.

Second, some said this is more of a new story with some DxD influence. That wasn't my intention but it is how it turned out. However, on this point onward, we will be following regular cannon. Consider the first few chapters an introduction to the Predator system. Now that we know what it is we can see how it affects the DxD world. I'll be following the Raizer arc, adding a twist to the Excalibur arc, messing around with the Khaos Brigade, and then probably doing an original arc after that. But it's a long ways off so let's just start with the curbstomping of Raizer first.

Third... and this is making me sound pretentious, but then again I AM. Why don't I do original works and publish? Because I believe I still need work. I make mistakes. You people point them out. This is why I write fanfiction before switching over to original works.

Case and point, I would like to thank Third Fang, DragonxDelinquent, and Redmoon2 for hitting me with hard questions that made me realize I missed a few holes in my designs.

Next, to those of you who actually drafted profiles of original Predator characters... I am deeply flattered. You people come up with some of the craziest stuff. However I am afraid that the roster is completely filled. Some of the characters I may use in a potential arc (between Raizer and Excalibur) but can't promise anything. If I ever do decide, then I will let you know. But do keep sending me profiles, or post them on the forum. I'm always interested in ideas of the most overpowered people on the planet.

Last, the question 'can Predators kill the Satans?' Yes and no. Predators don't actually have 'power levels' like the Satans do. They just have a means of killing ANYTHING. Sirzechs does as well once he goes Super Devil. Then we have people like Hades, who is more considered a Primordial being in my stories than an actual denizen of the planet. Hades would be an omnipotent being who exists in every world, therefore cannot make this world his home and become a Predator. So to say, he's more powerful than them. So it really depends on which Predator he fights, if at all.

Ophis and Great Red? They could totally curb stomp any Predator. Fuck. I doubt if all eight got together they wouldn't be able to so much as scratch Great Red before he flicks them to a different dimension.

Hey Arry? You keep mentioning Primordial beings. What are those?

Oh look. Time's up. We'll get to that another day.

On with the show!

* * *

Has anyone seen the look of someone who has been defeated? Not pushed down, knocked silly to the floor, or had something pulled from under their feet 'defeated'. Those people at least have the chance of getting back up. Has anyone seen someone who has just been… lost? Someone who had lost the light in their eyes. Someone who had lost the will to go on. Someone who just _couldn't _get back up?

Rias was one of those few people who could say she's seen someone like that. She had never experienced it herself, but she had seen everyone in her peerage go through it. Yuuto had been thrown away by the Church with all his friends killed when they no longer had a use for them. Koneko had been sentenced to death out of fear for what her sister had done happening again through her. And Akeno was rejected by her family for her Fallen Angel blood and eventually tried to be rid of.

If the Gremory family had not intervened, every one of her Pieces would have been dead. All moments she could never forget even if she wanted to. Yuuto, Koneko, and Akeno had believed there was nothing that could have saved them. They had sworn to serve Rias shortly after for as long as they breathed.

But Issei wasn't someone she could save as she had done before. There was nothing threatening his life. He wasn't trapped in an insurmountable situation. If anything, he was the victorious one. He alone made the villain retreat. He saved Asia, regardless if it was Rias who resurrected her or not. And rather than having her fear death, he let Ayame go in peace as she had been happy and loved.

However, Rias would kill the first person to argue Issei should be _happy. _No matter how positive the results may have been, the costs made were far too steep. Something broke within Issei on that day. Rather, it was like the Issei she knew and found adorable had been replaced by a hollowed husk of a corpse. He couldn't smile, he couldn't look at anyone in the eye, his steps were heavy and his shoulders were slouched...

And there was the silent alarm in the back of her mind that constantly told her he could kill her at any moment. Sometimes the feeling overwhelmed her and every part of her demanded to get away from him as fast as possible. But she was his King; she swore she would never abandon him no matter what. Now was the time he needed her more than anything. She will never live with herself if she fled in fear of her Pawn, world's greatest killer or not.

One day Rias learned the bathroom mirror had been shattered. Asia tried to reason it was an accident, but not even Issei's draconian regeneration could hide the blemished skin on his right knuckles. There were also the bags on both their eyes, though Asia's were more noticeable and Rias couldn't have noticed Issei's as his body was more resilient in showing signs. After some time alone with Asia to pick up some groceries, Rias had been able to convince the girl to let on what was going on.

Issei had not been able to sleep. Asia, who had been staying with him since the incident, had been able to convince him to try. Two hours later, Issei had been heard to be screaming and sobbing, muttering incoherent ramblings under his breath. He made constant gestures with his hands as if trying to wipe something off— like some stain he couldn't remove. In the end, all Asia could do was calm him down by running a bath for him.

…Which resulted in the broken mirror about an hour later. And Issei refused to sleep from then on. The best Asia could offer was to stay up with him, and so they had. But even the improved stamina of a resurrected Devil had its limits. Asia was reaching hers and didn't know what to do. She felt it was all her fault Issei was torn apart like this and pushed herself in order to counter the guilt she was bottling within herself.

Rias eventually decided it would be best if she too stayed with Issei. It gave Asia the chance to sleep as they rotated nights. By no means was Issei ever alone. The other members of the Gremory peerage often visited when they could. Sona was always around right after school every day and would stay until after dinner, sometimes Tsubaki would be accompanying her. They all tried to engage in conversation with the Pawn, who would respond accordingly but without his usual enthusiastic drive. The fire within him had been put out and he was running on nothing but fumes.

She noticed he would, on occasion, make that rubbing gesture with his hands. Like one who was wearing gloves they couldn't remove…

…Or blood they couldn't wash off.

Rias would have to say this was the hardest week of her life. She couldn't imagine what Issei was going through. And she couldn't understand what the point of that incident was. Sona had told her everything, including what it meant to be a Predator. But even with all the information Sona provided, as well as running the conversations between Issei and Fourth Predator in her mind, Rias _still _couldn't fathom _why _someone would do this to someone like Issei.

From what she could understand, Issei respected those who held the title of Predator like he would as fellow coworkers. He even called them his sempai. Likewise, they always respected him and provided resources for him to carry on his heroic duties as the Red Blur. So why, all of a sudden, did they exact such a plot to break him like this?

Sona had said so he could be a better killer. To be just like the others who were capable— or perhaps had already— of throwing away their humanity. Well, they had succeeded. Issei had _slaughtered _the exorcists working with the Fallen Angels and sure as hell punished Raynare. He no doubt made it so no other Fallen Angel would ever dare to try something like this ever again. And no doubt many other members of the other factions would hear of this and do their best to stay away as well.

She wondered what her brother will say about this once he finds out…

With the new week starting, Rias would be a liar to say she wasn't absolutely shocked to see Issei attending school like he once did. Teachers and his two perverted friends had asked what happened to him, to which he responded with a (fake) smile he had a family emergency to deal with.

Considering she had been buried as _Hyoudou _Ayame, he wasn't lying.

She and Sona watched at a distance to see how he was behaving. There wasn't anything noticeable on the surface. That in itself was a problem. Issei wasn't revealing any signs of change and was putting up a face for others. While, yes, this does help him move on, it does little with him solving the problem. He was blatantly ignoring the incident, perhaps trying to run away from it.

They both will have to watch out after him. But for now, they will have to mark this as an improvement compared to his recent personality and see how things progress from here on out.

Thus, with things starting to calm down finally, Rias could finish with the cleanup. She will have to get Asia enrolled in the school so she could attend the Occult Research Club… and maybe keep a better eye on Issei seeing as those two have been nearly inseparable for the past week. And… she groaned… filing the official report on the Fallen Angel incident as this city was under her authorization as a Devil.

But, when she returned to the Occult Research Club before the school hours concluded, she didn't expect Akeno to be there…

…With someone else.

"…Grayfia," Rias greeted casually as she had an irking to what this was going to be about.

*Scene*

"Hey man, so where have you been this whole time?" asked Motohama as the three of them sat together on the hill during gym class.

While the bald pervert _was _concerned about Issei, it didn't stop him from looking away while the girls were busy doing stretches. Nor did Matsuda. And Issei watched as he usually did, examining the way the girls bent here and there to emphasize their blooming assets. Despite everything that happened, it was a natural reaction for Hyoudou Issei to be a pervert. It's probably what got him out of bed every morning.

Take for example the number of times he's 'accidentally' walked in on Asia when she was in the shower or changing her clothes. She really was a sweetheart as she ruled it out as an honest mistake on his part and laughed it off; his senses never detecting a trace of insincerity or doubt from her words. He felt somewhat bad for constantly doing this with her just to have a peak of her. She was too nice for her own good… which really wasn't a bad thing in on itself.

He was nothing but appreciative for Asia's tolerance. He's been rather depressing the past week and she's always been there for him at a moment's notice. Who knows what he would have done if she wasn't around…

"Well, you know, stuff happened," he shrugged it off before trying to have his turn with Matsuda's binoculars, who slapped his hand away.

It was still a great mystery how Matsuda had been able to sneak that through his gym clothes unnoticed. And there was the question on how he had been able to hide it when he 'sensed' someone was looking his way and would have spotted the equipment. One moment it would be there and in the next it was as though it had never existed.

Truly, the workings of a pervert can break the Laws of the World.

"Yeah but you've been gone the entire week and half of the one before that," stated Matsuda as he fixed his glasses. There it was again; the binoculars were nowhere to be found. "Surely the great Ise couldn't have had that much difficulty with **Little Sister Love Fest**. It only took me six hours to beat it, extended edition or not."

By all means Issei had forgotten about that eroge. He hadn't been able to get it on the release date due to taking on the triplet storm gods. Luckily Matsuda had been able to break the code for the one-computer-only restriction on the disc and let Issei borrow the game. He would gladly boast it only took him four hours to beat it. Matsuda was nothing compared to the greatest sexual deviant to ever walk the earth known and feared as Hyoudou Issei!

"Unless…" Together, both Motohama and Matsuda's eyes narrowed as they targeted their killing intent towards Issei.

Before he could react, his friends pinned him to the ground.

"Spill it!" Matsuda gripped his shirt and began to shake him. "I knew there was more to the extended edition than two additional sisters! Motohime-sama wouldn't have pushed the release date another year otherwise!"

"We should have known only someone like you, Ise, could have found the hidden route," Motohama was practically foaming out of the mouth at this point as he was consumed with rage. "The rumors on the net said there was a final conclusion! Beating the game only gets you a 90% completion… _No one _has been able to get the full 100%!"

"Not even my hacking skills could have uncovered how to activate the alternative route," Matsuda was shedding tears. "They really went out of their way to make sure no one would be able to cheat in the game. So tell me Ise, out of the 210 different choices, how did you manage to find the right sequence to unlock the impossible harem route?!"

Just as fast as they had pinned him down, he had grabbed them by the collar of their shirts and hefted them off the ground. They dangled inches off the floor.

"Fools!" Fire burned within Issei's eyes. "You dare call yourselves perverts? I am ashamed of saying you stand on equal grounds with me. IF YOU BOTHERED TO READ THE MANUAL YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND THE PASSWORD TO MIKA-NEE'S ROOM!"

Their petrified gazes were wondrous to look at. Truth be told, Issei didn't think to actually read the manual either. No one reads the manual. No one. In fact, most companies have the manual in digital format these days. It just so happened to slip out of the box and land on the convenient page that displayed the hint as to guess what the password was. So it really wasn't that he was a better pervert than his friends, he was just using his luck to his advantage.

He put them down and gave them a thumbs-up, "It was a splendid three hours of pure debauchery after that. I conquered all nine girls without a problem!"

…There was only half an hour's worth of the harem route. One needn't to work too hard to figure out what he did the rest of the time.

"N-Nine?!" gasped Motohama.

"Now we know you're full of it," Matsuda fixed his glasses once more. "There were only eight optional girls… unless…"

Issei gave a shit-eating-grin, "Mika-nee becomes a part of the group."

As though shot through the heart, both boys stumbled back and fell down the hill.

Meanwhile, the classmates who had overheard the discussion down below on the field were absolutely disgusted. They whispered amongst themselves and wondered, for the hundredth time, if they should call the disciplinary squad, a faculty member, or the police. Sure the Perverted Trio never did anything beyond peeping, but sooner or later their lust will get the better of them and drive them to more extreme methods. It made the girls terrified of them while the boys deeply wanted the three to reach that level just so they have a reasonable excuse to beat the living shit out of them.

But for now, all they could do was keep their distance.

Issei sat back at the hill and took a relieving breath of air. He knew he couldn't stay in the house forever, though he will admit he loved every moment of being pampered by Asia. But, it just wasn't healthy. So, when he decided enough time for grieving had been achieved, it was time to try to return to his normal life. Though he will never be the same again, he could at least continue on with his life. The familiar atmosphere of being hated and shunned by the student body while comparing porn material with his buddies was what he needed.

As abnormal as it may be, it was _his_ life.

At least, that was what he was wanting. Things were too far different. Ever since being acknowledged as a true Predator, Issei's senses had been more… refined than he could have possibly imagined. They threw him off balance, yet at the same time had him more ready for anything. It was an irregularity that worked, if he could put it into words.

Whenever someone was talking about him behind his back, he knew about it. He knew when eyes were looking at him. He knew the location of where everyone was within the school grounds and if he put some thought into it then he could pinpoint the absolute location of _anyone _in the city. And if he thought about someone whom he desired to kill, he could find the location of anyone on the planet.

The people who had been able to hide from him were now uncovered. Villains who had escaped his clutches could now be hunted down. And they didn't know about it. However, perhaps because he too had the same perks, Fourth Predator was able to _look back._

Issei was aware of when something bad would have happened to him, from tripping over a piece of paper to someone who wanted to hurt him. His body also reacted accordingly to avoid those with the utmost efficiency. It was so natural to him it was as though these sudden changes had been a part of him his entire life.

So when he was talking to Motohama and Matsuda, he wasn't looking at them as he used to as friends. His mind was analyzing them with precision to determine their threat level, to calculate what was the most efficient method of removing them without endangering himself such as raising suspicion or even getting so much as a scratch from their retaliation. His _friends. _And his mind was treating them as potential _problems _to be dealt with; distractions that will hinder his responsibilities as Eighth Predator.

Halfway through the day and he had already almost killed them thrice. When they pinned him down to the floor he almost snapped their necks out of reaction.

A week ago this would have _never _been a problem. It was taking nearly all of his focus to hold back his killing intent with the rest stopping his bodily reactions. Today's lessons flew over his head and he could barely hold on to a conversation.

However, when talking about girls, this meant nothing to Issei. But that was an entirely different matter.

"So really," Motohama sat down beside Issei. "What's been going on with you? Does this have anything to do with Rias-oneesama?"

Issei didn't hold back the twitch to his left hand as he wanted to strangle his friend. He didn't like how the baldy was pretending to be so familiar with his King. "No, it has nothing to do with Buchou. I meant it when I said this morning that I had family matters to take care of. Something… came up and I had to take care of it…"

Issei looked away as the cold, bitter, and sharp pain in his chest ached. He remembered waking up a few hours later with Ayame still in his arms. He almost believed she was still alive as she still had that blissful smile on her face. He wanted to believe she was just sleeping. But the curse of constant awareness that came with being a Predator had told him she had passed on long ago. He never wanted to let go of her, even as he was the one to bury her. It was the most painful experience since his parents' funeral.

He can never forgive Third, Fourth, and Sixth Predators for what they had done. He will despise them for the rest of his life. Even if Ayame was never intended to be involved, they would have done the same thing to Asia instead as _she _was the one supposed to be cursed. He wasn't even sure how he should feel towards his other sempai. Though they were not directly involved as the three, they were still aware of the plan and hadn't done anything to prevent it let alone warn him in advance.

He had received gifts and letters from most of the Predators, only First and Fourth keeping silent. It didn't alter his opinion on any of them in the slightest.

"But didn't all that get settled a few years back?" asked Matsuda as he took his seat. "What else could have happened?"

Not wanting to hide anything from his friends— well, with the exception from the supernatural world— Issei decided to share a little. "I recently found out I had another member of the family. A distant relative. She lived in the city and everything. It was just by chance that we met…"

"W-Wha?!" gasped Motohama. "What's she like?! Is she a totally hot babe?!"

Issei withheld the frown wanting to sprout. "No, she was still in middle school. She was only twelve. She was… I guess you could call her my cousin. But we got to know each other really well. She would have moved in with me to be my new _imouto._"

He didn't like to think what would have happened if Ayame would have survived. At least not now, not when her passing was still fresh. He didn't want to think about how life would have been with her living with him, if, of course, she chose to leave her home after becoming a Devil.

"…Was?" questioned Matsuda as he had noticed Issei's tone.

"Lucky~" whined Motohama further. "You would have been the bane of my existence if you got a little sister. Just imagine, she would have woken you up every morning, walked to school together, acted all _moé-moé _about the bathing arrangements and—"

Something was telling Motohama to stop talking or his life would have been forfeited. It wasn't just him who noticed this. Matsuda had the sudden impulse to move away from Issei. The students down below finishing their stretches either froze in place or looked around in confusion as their bodies sensed danger. They couldn't determine from what direction the danger was coming from, only that if they did anything to get attention it would be their last.

Issei stood and started to head back to the main building. "I'm… not feeling so well. I'm going to the nurse's office for a bit…"

*Scene*

Sona was sitting during a math lecture when the wave of killing intent flowed through the room. She had been able to pay attention to the teacher explain the formula while keeping an eye on Issei out the window. He seemed to be back to his old self, which was a warning in on itself to her. He hadn't been fairing any better since she left him last night. To have him suddenly smiling and fooling around with his habitual perversions would have been a nice sight to see… if it were natural.

However she had let it be as it was the first stage of his recovery. But if he would continue to be like this then she will have to intervene before it gets out of hand.

She couldn't hear what he and his friends were talking about, but something must have happened to trigger that reaction from Issei. It was unlike any other he had ever emitted, even during that time when he was reverted to a primitive beast of instinct. There was no intended target and so his killing intent had swept over the general area.

Killing intent wasn't an actual presence that could affect the world. In reality, it was the target's interpretation and understanding from the initiator— two minds acknowledging a state of danger in which one or both forces will die. It wasn't like some invisible mist the body could produce. Only spells and charms could produce similar results, albeit poorly as magic resistance and willpower could overcome these attempts. And they could only entice the emotions of fear, anxiety, timidity, and similar others— never really locking an individual into a state of life-threatening danger.

It spoke leagues when this 'presence' could be felt by the general populace just now. Even the clueless mundane students, who more than likely never met anything more dangerous than a common mugger, could feel there was something horrendously wrong. That there was something capable of killing them within the vicinity. This feeling was far too foreign to them and thus didn't know how to react appropriately. The students could only share glances with another, questioning if the one sitting beside them were feeling the same thing.

As quickly as it came, it went away. Issei was walking away from the field and returning to the main building. His face was as blank as it had been all week long. What persona he had created this morning had been removed.

Not good. Not good _at all. _As Issei was in a critical state of mind, Sona was worried he might lose himself and make a mistake. Issei would never do this on his own; but as he is now, she couldn't rule out that possibility. He might have the ability to stop himself now, but how long until something or someone pushes him over the edge? If one of his closest friends could trigger this reaction, then who could say what might happen if he ran into someone who had it out for him?

…Issei wasn't exactly the most liked individual among the female student body.

"Teacher, I'm feeling a little upset," she stood from her desk right away. "I need to go to the infirmary."

Before the teacher could so much as ask a question or tell someone to accompany her, Sona was already out of the room and rushing down the hall. With practiced ease equivalent to moving a finger, her senses picked up Issei's unique draconian signature. For a second Issei's pacing shifted as soon as she honed in on his general location, no doubt one of the perks of a Predator telling him someone was watching him. He didn't show any sign of distain and continued his normal speed towards the eastern corridor.

Conveniently, Issei was on his way towards the infirmary. When Sona arrived a few minutes after him, he was lying down on his side on one of the spare beds. Only he and the school nurse were present.

"Would you mind giving us some time alone?" Sona suggested as her Devil charm worked its magic on the nurse. In response, the woman nodded with a smile and stepped out of the room.

Alone, Sona took her time pulling a chair beside Issei's side and took her seat. She didn't say anything and only gazed at his back. His eyes were closed and his breathing was even. His face was blank with an expression of peace as one would when sleeping soundly.

…Except Sona knew better.

Rather than calling him out on it, as she also had the feeling he already knew she knew, Sona crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. The idle silence between them wasn't awkward, but nor was it soothing. It was rather stale, bland, void of anything to produce an emotion. Yet, Sona could say that with just the two of them being alone in an isolated room there was something placid about it. There might not be something pleasant about the atmosphere, but there was also nothing that could bother them. For the time, no matter how short it may be, it was a nice break from the past vindictive week.

It didn't take long for Issei to sit up, kicking his legs over the edge and folding his hands into his lap. There was no reason for him to greet Sona just as she didn't need to do the same for him. As she had promised to be his friend, she had done all she could to express her sincerity. No matter how terrified she was of him, especially after being brought forth as a full-fledge Predator, Sona stood by his side in his most dire moment.

There was an understanding between the two; something that could never be put into words.

Sona patiently waited for Issei to begin the conversation. When he was ready, he will talk.

And so he did, "I thought if I could suppress this feeling after a few days with everyone at my house I could at least manage a single school day. I didn't think it would be this hard. I think… I think if you didn't teach me how to be patient, how to examine the situation… I think I would have killed a lot of people by now."

She wanted to say something— between her normal reaction to lecture him and this new friendly feedback to comfort him. Instead, she pressed her glasses up and listened.

"It's a lot harder than I realized," his eyes looked down at his hands. It was hard to notice right away, but if given enough focus one could see they were shaking. "I can't see them as people anymore. I see them as… threats. My mind is constantly reporting to me the probability each individual being is able to damage me. Something as insignificant as a small nudge pushing me a centimeter aside to the likelihood of any of them killing me.

"…And every one of them I want to kill as I see them as a… _nuisance._"

His hands tightened to the point where his knuckles were turning pale.

But again, Sona withheld anything to alter his train of thought. She didn't console him and remained silent in her seat.

He went on, "Sona… you're no exception to this. But I don't see you as a threat that _might _endanger me. My mind is telling me you are something more of a distraction. Something holding me back, crippling me— like a heavy weight I need to shrug off or it'll get me killed. But… I can't…"

He gritted his teeth.

This time, Sona put her hand on top of his. He flinched, but the pained look went away at her touch. "Ise, never think your friends are a weakness. That is the difference between you and _them. _You have something to fight for. You have something to return to. No matter what will happen, we will always be here for you. Always. If you think we are holding you back, then imagine what will happen to you if you are without us."

Issei was silent. But the small twitch in his lips indicated he knew what she meant.

"I won't lie and say we can defend ourselves so you don't have to worry. Because it isn't true; at least not right now. Most of the things you have faced are beyond us. We cannot defend ourselves if such danger comes our way, nor will we be able to support you in battle. Our lives are in your hands, Ise. And just as we depend on you, know that we are here for you. If you think of us as a burden, then ask yourself this: for what reason did you become a hero?"

His eyes had widened by but a fragment at the question. He knew the answer.

"You told me you became a hero because you lacked the power to stop the Fourth. You now have that power and the capability to make him run in fear of you. You have the power to protect those you care about. And we need you, Ise. Do you mean to abandon your promise?"

Issei shut his eyes and gave a weary sigh, "You don't understand. I'm not a hero. I stopped being a hero. When Asia… When they killed Asia…"

Her hand being over his, she felt his hands starting to shake again.

"I didn't listen to you, Sona. I thought I could save them both without excessive casualties. I was too worried about Buchou and the others getting caught in the crossfire. But I couldn't listen to you and ever forgive myself. I couldn't abandon Asia. And if I had, then _they _would have targeted you or Buchou or everyone else until they got what they wanted. I had thought this and went ahead. But being the hero wasn't good enough. Just wanting to save her wasn't enough.

"…I killed everyone, Sona. I… I killed them out of anger. There was nothing just about it. That wasn't the machinations of a hero. That was the resolve of a killer. Nothing more. And I killed Raynare over and over until her mind was broken. But instead of delivering the final blow, I made her live in fear. I can still feel her down in the Underworld. I didn't leave her like that for her to repent; I left her like that just so she could suffer just as Asia did before she died.

"And now I'm just so… _angry _with everything. But I'm mostly angry with myself. If I had just listened— if I had just done as they wanted then… I would have hated myself. I would have grieved over what I had done, but Ayame would still be alive and Asia wouldn't have suffered. I would have learned to live with it because they would have been fine. But now? Now… I am _not _a hero."

His hand moved before she could initiate the strike. She had wanted to slap him, but his instincts were far sharper than hers. He had been able to detect her intentions and had caught her wrist mid-swing. His grip threatened to snap her arm off, and the beaded sweat on his brow was telling her how much conflict he was going through to resist the deed.

If she were to lose her arm, then so be it. She stood her ground and glared at him. He had a week to mourn and settle the troubles of his mind. Now it was time for him to start the recovery stage.

"Then you're an idiot who hasn't learned anything. I taught you better than this, Ise. _Never _regret what you have done. Accept them, learn from them, and grow stronger. Continue to be bothered by what has happened until you are capable of preventing them from ever happening again. Never forget what Ayame was to you. Never forget what your friends are to you. Never forget what it means to be a hero. Even if it means you must become the monster, never forget the reasons why you must do it.

"It is acceptable to perform evil if it is the only option, but never accept it as good. That is where you are different from _them. _So long as you can acknowledge your flaws, your mistakes, your weaknesses, then you have the ability to improve.

"_They _have reached the peak of their power. _You _have the capacity to keep growing. _You _have the potential to surpass them. Ise, grow stronger until you can protect everyone like you so promised. Grow until you can defeat the Fourth, not suffer under simultaneous defeat. Grow until no one will have to suffer again. Grow until you can be proud of your actions. Grow until you never have to grieve over someone's loss ever again.

"But never forget why you do it in the first place."

Slowly, Issei let go of her wrist and let his hand slip to his lap once more. She didn't massage the aching skin. Instead, she moved from her seat on the chair to the bed. Neither of them said a word as they sat in silence. But there was something different about this stillness than the one before. Now, there was a sort of resonance between the two. Now, there was something stirring within their surroundings, buzzing with emotions that had yet to settle in.

And there was something pleasant about it.

"…Thank you, Sona."

She needn't give anything to say she accepted his words. The companionship between them, no matter how fresh it was, had been strong. By this point they could pick up small intentions between another— gestures and signals of hardly worthy mention that expressed wholesome conversations. It was a bond only achievable amongst the closest of friends, ones who have shared time immeasurable.

…Or, as Sona had wished otherwise, an experience neither will ever forget.

By no means was Issei healed by their talk. No, the wound was still fresh and pulsing. However, there was a visible sign as clear as the day. Issei's shoulders were less stressed, his posture a little more straight, and, for once, he wasn't fiddling with his hands. The pain was still searing through his mind, but now he could start to recuperate. There was nothing more she could do for him. Whether he could move forward or remain broken was up to him.

"Take the rest of the day off," she said as she stood. Class was about to end. "I'll tell Rias you went home and I'll bring your assignments there when I can."

Issei nodded; there was more fluid movement in his gesture than the forced kind he had been giving. Smiling in departure, Sona opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

*Scene*

"I'm home," Issei called out as he switched from his shoes to a pair of slippers at the entrance. He listened to Sona's advice and went home, taking his time to go over her words. What would have been a ten minute trip lasted an hour as he took a moment's chance to sit at a bench in thought.

"Eh?! I-Ise, j-just wait right there! Don't move! I'm not ready!" Asia called out to him from upstairs. His senses picked up nervousness, surprise, anxiety, and panic. Then he could trace her presence running from his room straight into hers, rummaging through what little belongings she had in all haste.

Issei could only scratch his head in confusion. Asia was a wonderful girl with the sweetest of personalities. However, after spending a week with her under the same roof, he found she was nothing but a klutz. She tripped over virtually nothing always. But he would have to say her main feature was her ability to panic. When Asia panics over anything, she tends to go above and beyond to remedy it. Even when they weren't problems she started, Asia will go out of her way to make things better. However, every attempt to do so left them more disastrous than when they started out to be.

For example, on one night Rias had stayed the night the Gremory heiress had slept in the same bed as Issei. Granted he hadn't slept a wink he was at least calm with her being at his side. Now, Rias has no shame whatsoever about nudity taboos and even claimed she can't sleep with any clothes on. Since it was the first sign of improvement she had seen, Asia took it as an idea that Issei was only calm around individuals who were stark naked.

It was an interesting evening to say the least when Asia randomly stripped during dinner… when Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki were there with him. He didn't recall saying or doing anything in particular to make her think he was upset about anything. Yet, just in the middle of them all eating, Asia stood up and took off her dress.

…And Sona gave the three of them one of her lectures.

Issei shivered at the memory.

The sound of Asia rushing down the stairs broke him out of his thoughts. His heart skipped a beat as he thought she would stumble and hurt herself as she normally would when this hectic. He was ready to leap into action if she started to trip over her feet. Luckily this time wasn't the case. As he walked deeper into his house and turned the corner to greet her, she planted her feet firmly on the bottom step.

Issei was completely blown away, almost literally. His head snapped back with all the blood in his body rushing straight to his cranium. The velvet liquid threatened to burst and drip down his nose. Constant awareness of all threats couldn't register the weapon of mass destruction that was Asia Argento, apparently.

The former sister was blushing up a storm as she held one arm behind her back and the other covering her cheek. Her eyes darted between the floor and Issei. She had come down the stairs wearing an immaculate white apron that hug her nubile figure well. It wrapped around her neck and waist with a large bow tied to her back as though she were something meant to be unwrapped. It was full of frills which emphasized Asia's innocence, especially with the way it was modestly designed.

…Except there was nothing _modest _about it. Asia simply wasn't wearing anything underneath the apron.

"W-W-Would you like dinner, a-a-a b-b-bath, or p-perhaps… M-M-ME?!" Asia asked with all her heart and a scarlet face from extreme embarrassment. It took every ounce of effort for her to recite those words.

Issei's body moved before his mind could fully reboot. With a crazed look in his eyes, some drool escaping through his lips, and a spot of blood dripping down his nose, his hands gripped around her exposed shoulders. He never believed he would ever see the day where a beautiful girl like Asia would ever greet him like this. The Naked Apron was one of the top five things he wanted to experience once he obtained his harem. And Asia had just blown his mind away. Not even his innovative imagination could have designed a better character to play the part.

His hormones and little friend downstairs were all but screaming at him to take advantage of the moment. However… he simply couldn't. There wasn't a trace of seduction or lust coming from Asia, which meant she wasn't fully aware of what she was doing. She only felt embarrassment for wearing such an outfit and her question didn't alter her feelings whatsoever.

He was only bleeding because he was suffering from an aneurism due to fighting against his nature that is a pervert. Nosebleeds from perverted scenes only happen in anime.

"A-Asia," his voice was as shaky as his willpower. He was about to cave. "W-What… What brought this about?"

No longer able to maintain her embarrassment, Asia bowed her head as she couldn't look at him in the eye with her answer. "The other day when I was cleaning your room… I saw a magazine with a lot of women inside. When I asked Rias about it… s-she said it was something boys your age really liked. So I thought I would dress like one of them and… cheer you up… Did… Did it work…?"

Asia was truly a most fearsome creature. Her innocence knew no bounds as she knew not what she had just done. She had been _greatly _misinformed or simply misinterpreted what Rias had tried to explain to her about the porno magazine. With her doe-like eyes and virtuous habits, only the most heartless of individuals would be able to have their way with her. If one were to have a _shred _of decency in them, they will never be able to live with themselves if they took advantage of this girl.

Issei was one such person. He gave her a warm smile— one no one had seen from him for a while. Her eyes widened with delight as she had achieved her goal.

But let it be known he was crying a river. He had too much respect for Asia to do anything for her. He swore to protect her no matter what… even if it meant from himself.

"Asia…" Issei let his hands linger on her shoulders just a bit longer. His fingers kneaded against her skin gently.

"Ise…?" Asia tilted her head to the side in mild confusion. Her cuteness soared through his readings.

"…Thank you," he said and let his hands drop to his side. His words carried more than enough weight for her to understand his intentions. He was not talking about her most recent attempt to cheer him up. No, he was talking about her patience. How she had been concerned for him. How she had done everything in her power to take care of him. He was the one supposed to be responsible for her and yet he found their roles reversed.

From here on out, he will be making due with his promise. Sona was right. He had something to care for. He had something to return to. Something to strive for.

As Eighth Predator, Hyoudou Issei will protect the ones he loves. There were no arguments about it this time.

The smile Asia returned lit up the room. Her eyes sparkled as tears threatened to fall. But she blinked them away as to not worry him. "O-Of course, Ise. You… You're my first real friend and I… I c-care about you a lot. No one… no one's worried about me like you did before…"

In the evenings, when they stayed up as Issei couldn't bear the nightmares, they had talked about a number of things. One of the things she had shared with him was the stories and experiences she had as a member of the Church. She talked about how with her Twilight Healing people all over the world flocked towards her. She was a beacon of hope to the people, something to be worshiped as one of God's miracles. The Church raised her as a healer, pushing and training her spiritual reserves so to increase her potency with her Sacred Gear. Though she was loved by all, Asia never had someone to talk to. She never had a friend to share things with.

When Asia was branded a heretic for healing a Devil, she had no one to lean against. Even Serene had fooled her hopes when the Divine Beast offered assistance, instead using her for the sickening ploy the others had come up with. She was alone, scared, and had found the wrong company when being isolated in Japan.

If it was him being in her place, he would never be able to trust anyone ever again. But, Asia immediately trusted him and never doubted anything coming from him. He will never betray her. Just as she willingly accepted him for who he is, for what sin he had committed upon her death, he didn't hesitate to open everything up for her.

Two beings left alone in a cold, dark world… perhaps they were meant to have met after all. And after everything that had happened between them, there wasn't a chance they could live without the other.

"Let's get you out of that first, Asia," Issei scratched his cheek and looked away. As much as he wanted to keep ogling her… he would like to live to see the morning. "We _really _don't want Sona giving us another lecture."

"Oh…" Asia blinked as she realized the time. It was still a little early but it was usually around this time she would start preparing dinner. Within another hour or so members of the Occult Research Club and the Sitri Peerage would show up. Sona wasn't very accepting of Issei's 'indecent' behavior and blamed Asia's 'shameless' approaches as his fault. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry. I'll go change right away."

She turned and made her way back up the stairs. As expected, her bubbly-shaped posterior was fully exposed for the world to see. Worse, it was exposed for the greatest and most diabolical lord of debauchery the world had the misfortune of producing to see: Hyoudou Issei.

His eyes shifted from brown to emerald green as his draconian essence flourished through his veins. His focus made time slow to a crawl as he captured every microscopic detail regarding Asia's magnanimously shaped rear. Not that this wasn't the first time he's seen it. But it was the first time he had seen it at this angle. And, always, it was such a sight to see he feared it would be his last!

"Memorized," he said akin to an aria, which wouldn't be far from the truth. He might know next to nothing about magic, but he could at least understand the fundamentals. Not that he could perform or replicate any of them, but still. Just as Siegfried-sempai had to invoke a trigger-command to activate his magic, so too did Issei if he wanted to record the perfect analysis of anything he so desired.

Compared to Issei's attention to detail, it made that Emiya _magus' _Structural Analysis spell look like a child's house drawing in crayon before a perfectly replicated statue of David.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"O-Oh nothing, nothing!" Issei waved his hand as sweat began to bead from his temple.

Asia lingered at one of the steps for a moment before nodding. "Oh, that's right. Ise, there was a package that came for you this afternoon. It says it came all the way from Wales. I put it on the counter for you."

A brow was raised at this. Issei had called his preferred specialist, the same man who assisted him in building the defense wards around his house, and had expected the new demand to take a while to produce. It was yesterday morning when he made the call to that quirky English magician. To not so much as an answer to say if the magician could have done it to having the actual product within such a short span of time was nothing short of amazing.

Really, Issei simply doubted the man's efficiency. Well, when a man like that, who is married to a member of the Church, who surrounds himself in doll-like creatures called _Djinn, _who called himself Godking Dalang (whatever the hell _that _is) on the first day they met, who tends to forget his identity every ten years with the most recent one being two years ago… Anything can really happen. Like when they first met he was a total dweeb named Donald Douglas. Now he carries himself like a rock star named Richard Royals. When Issei orders something from him, his production rate can range between the next day (like this instance) to the next _year._

…He's still waiting on those glasses to see through clothing.

However, whenever they do show up, they always exceed his expectations.

"Thank you Asia. I'll take a look at it. And don't worry about dinner. I'll make it tonight."

*Scene*

Rias was deeply troubled and it was starting to show. Her source of displeasure was something she could shrug off and worry about it for a later date— at least at first. She had until she graduated from college anyways, but another five to six years away at this point. However, due to the most recent events partaking around the city she governs, that little leeway of freedom had been taken from her.

Now it wasn't something she could so easily shrug off. Her family was pressing her to get married and have children as soon as possible. To _that man _no less. The Phenex family was just as prestigious as the Gremory, but it was the third son that disgusted her. The man already had his own lover with several other mistresses on the side— excused as members of his esteemed peerage. Everyone knew this, but it wouldn't change anything by this point.

Her father loved and respected her, but the man was ever the traditionalist. He was afraid the Gremory line would die out. And he wouldn't allow her to marry just anyone of her choosing. He wanted pureblood offspring and so made an accord with his old friend, Lord Phenex. As Rias was just the heiress to the Gremory name, her father had absolute say at the end.

If she were the head of the family this wouldn't be a problem to begin with.

This engagement had existed for quite some time. However, thanks to the fiasco the Fallen Angels caused, they were afraid something more… disastrous would end her. None of the Lords, her brother, or Grayfia said it outright, but Rias could make a guess as to why they were pressing for this now of all times.

…It had something to do with these _Predators._

No doubt someone in a position of power like her brother would have already known the existence of these beings. The official report Rias gave them said the Fallen Angels had hired an exorcist by the name of Freed Sellzen to kidnap Asia and extract her Sacred Gear. The Grigori then later sent a message saying they had sent their agents to _examine _Sacred Gear users and nothing more. Since they were acting of their own accord, Rias had full permission to 'remove' them from her property by any means of preference. This was just a normal skirmish of territory rights; nothing she hadn't faced before.

There shouldn't be any reason for them to worry. However, or at least what she could assume, Issei's little message to the Grigori had been leaked throughout the Underworld. Rias wasn't skeptical to believe her brother didn't have spies in their organization any more than the crows had theirs within the Devil society.

Her other clue was the bombardment of questions regarding her newest Pawn. Such as if he had a Sacred Gear. She replied that he did but was adamant about revealing it. These same questions were directed to Sona, who was later found to have a personal relationship with Issei long before he became a Devil. Her answer was the same as Rias'. And, _always, _they asked to speak with him but both girls wouldn't allow it until he was in a better condition.

The thing that more than likely threw them into this frenzy would be the recent disappearance of the heir to the Astaroth family as well as half of his peerage. Not that Rias knew anything about Diodara other than him being the younger brother of Ajuka Beelzebub. Without an heir, the family is in complete disarray. But even so, the fallout of the Astaroth clan should have little to no effect on the affairs of the Gremory and Phenex.

It should have. But then after hearing about how Asia was excommunicated, it didn't take a genius to figure out the Devil she healed was none other than the missing Diodara. There was a high probability the Predator belonging to the Church had dealt with him discretely or he had been killed by that _blob _Fourth Predator if he had followed Asia to Japan. Asia was a part of their plan and so having him around would have been… problematic. Removing him would have been the best option.

…If this was true, then it means Sirzechs knew about this. Unfortunately, this was all speculation. Rias had no evidence to confirm her theories. And they weren't giving her anything as what resources she could use at the moment couldn't uncover anything.

"Earth to Rias, are you in there?"

A hand waving to her face caught her attention. Her eyes fluttered back to the real world as she realized her Pawn had arrived at some point to the clubroom. By the look of worry on his face as well as his way of getting her attention it would say he had been here for some time. She had been in so deep in thought she hadn't noticed his arrival.

"Oh, Ise, sorry I was thinking about something." She adjusted herself in her seat and put on some good spirits for her Pawn. She could worry about the engagement later. Right now her most adorable servant was present. "Good morning. You're here a little early."

It would be another twenty minutes before everyone else showed up. Well, Akeno was in the other room preparing the assortments for the surprise party. The clatter she was making had stopped, probably as soon as Issei entered the clubroom. Her eyes traced over the wooden box cradled under one arm. No doubt the reason Issei showed up before schedule was due to what lay in the box.

If he was early then it meant she didn't have enough time to place any decorations up. Oh well. The plain, drab, dark, gloomy clubroom will have to do.

"There's something I wanted to discuss with you," his tone and expression were all business. It wasn't his old goofy self, but it wasn't his dark and brooding one either. This was… more natural. Tempered. It hurt her how much he had changed.

"I'm all ears," she could only offer her attention as she leaned forward in her desk.

"Actually…" he placed the box down on the center of the coffee table and took a few paces towards her. It would seem what was inside had nothing to do with right now. "It might be something more of a request. No, well, I… I really don't know what to call it."

She let him scratched his head as he looked away in thought. Eventually he found what he was searching for when he turned back with a serious expression. "Rias Gremory, I would like for you to be my master."

"…I believe I already am," she bluntly replied.

"No, that's… That's not what I mean." He grew flustered when he shook his head. "Buchou, you are my King as a Devil. That I accept. But that's not what I'm asking. I'm not very good at official things like this so I'm sorry if it doesn't come out right or as refined.

"I want you to be my master, the one I serve for the rest of my time. Not as a Devil to a King. But as Hyoudou Issei to Rias Gremory."

Her eyes widened at this. She didn't know what to say or how to respond. Instead, with the words slowly forming in her head, she asked. "What… made you come up with this?"

He opened his mouth to immediately respond but closed it just as quickly. His lips thinned out and head bowed slightly, yet he never looked away from her. "I've… thought about it a lot over the week. Yesterday confirmed my feelings. Rias, I have power. I have the power to choose who can live and who will die. And those I judge have no say in it. Whatever I decide is the absolute end. No one should have this power. No one. Yet the eight of us exist for this sole reason; to judge who will live and who will die.

"Before, I thought I could use this power to be a hero. To save innocent lives, stop criminals, and put down monsters. That I didn't have to kill unless it was absolutely necessary. But now? I can't look at myself in the mirror anymore. I can't call myself a hero. I've become nothing more than a monster who's only driven by a desire to kill."

She tried to say something, but he put up a hand to cut her off. "This isn't me whining, Rias. This is the truth. Everyone I want to kill. _Everyone. _From my neighbors who say hi to me each morning, to my classmates who scorn me for being a pervert, to my best friends I bond with, to even you, who has shown me nothing but compassion since becoming a Devil. Even… even Asia is not immune to this feeling. And I can't stand it.

"This is what it means to be a Predator. We are the ultimate killers not because we are the most powerful or effective, we are what we are because we have the instinct, the mentality, the fortitude, the sheer _bloodlust _of a killer. And ever since I killed those exorcists, I've never been able to break free from that mindset. No matter how much time passes the feeling to want to just… never… goes away…"

She couldn't hear that last part. But the way he was fiddling with his hands unconsciously told her of his meaning.

He took a breath and continued. "That's why I _need _something. Not to distract me from these feelings. But to guide me. To direct me. I need someone by my side to tell me what I am doing right and what I am doing wrong. But I can't have just a partner. If I have that then there is a chance I will ignore their advice. I need someone who I can't defy. I need someone I can trust.

"I need _you, _Buchou. Not as my King, but as my master. If you will have me, then I swear to follow every order you give me without question. Because you are the person I trust the most. When you were curious about my power, you let me keep my privacy. When I went on my own to save Asia, you supported me rather than discourage. And as you learned of _what _I am, your opinion didn't waver one bit."

Perhaps not, but she wouldn't deny she was terrified of him on those moments when his killing intent leaked out.

As she had listened to his speech, she had come to her own decision long before he finished. She didn't need to think about it. She stood and moved around her desk. "Issei, I want you to take a seat on the couch."

He stared at her, dumbfounded. He wasn't sure if this was an answer or a distraction.

"Now," her tone left no room for argument.

"…Yes, Buchou," he responded almost mechanically as he was too confused to express any other words. He did as he was told and plopped himself in his usual spot as he would during meetings.

She didn't take her usual position though. Instead, her body hung over the edge as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck from behind. Her bosom pressed against the back of his head while she rested her chin on his cranium. She gave him a firm squeeze that spoke of how much she didn't want to let him go, of how much she wanted to comfort him.

"…B-Buchou?" Issei stuttered from both surprise for the gesture as well as mild excitement for feeling her generous assets against him. Despite the previously serious talk, there was a light hue of red on his cheeks.

"I don't want to hear about this ever again, do you understand me?" She began and tightened her grip. "Don't think Sona didn't tell me what you two talked about yesterday. You're stronger than you think you are, Ise. However, if you ever do stray, I will always be there for you. Sona will too. You are my Pawn, Ise. It would be unbecoming if I don't properly take care of you. I care about all of my servants and you are no exception. You don't need to sell yourself like that.

"No matter how many times you may fall, Ise, I will be there to help you back up. We all will. If you need guidance as to what to do with your killer's instinct, then use it for those who you care about. Use it to protect them. There is nothing that says you can't keep being a hero. Everyone stumbles, Ise. You've learned through this. What they had done was unforgivable, but this is something you can grow from. Make the monster into the hero so that _they _can never do this to you ever again."

They stayed like that for some time. Her soft breaths tickling through his hair and him sighing in resignation. His body relaxed as he basked in the warmth of his King.

She began to giggle as her grip loosened. "But I think that's enough. I can't have my adorable Pawn too spoiled or _someone _will get jealous."

"…Jealous?" Issei didn't understand what she was talking about.

"Um…" the soft and slightly whimpering voice of Asia Argento was his answer. The maiden was fiddling with the edges of her skirt, her cheeks puffed, and tears threatening to escape. "I-I-I-I understand, Ise. R-Rias is much prettier than I am… and her breasts are so much more…"

He didn't understand _why, _but he could at least tell Asia was hurting. He didn't need his draconian senses to tell him that. "A-Asia, wait, nothing's happening!"

He didn't know why those were the words he chose to say. It made him sound like he was having an affair. And as such, they had the expected affect. It made him look all the more guilty.

And Asia looked all the more hurt. "It's okay, Ise. I hope the two of you will be very happy."

Rias watched as Issei went to her to deny any illicit affair she was confusing with. And Asia was so distressed she could hardly understand anything he was saying. The two looked like a loving married couple with the wife misinterpreting something she walked in on her husband. And the husband failing to properly explain what was really going on and making the matter worse. Issei even went as far as to get on his knees to plead with her while Asia began pulling on his cheeks in her jealousy and trying to force back the tears.

It would have been humorous if not for her own circumstances. As things were going, she would never be able to experience something like what Asia and Issei were going through. Maybe if she _liked _Raizer there would have been the possibility. Unfortunately her fiancé was a pig who only saw her as a means of expanding his personal power.

She will be damned if she allowed someone like that marry her.

"Hey it looks like everyone's here," Yuuto walked in with his usual cheerful smile. Following close behind was Koneko. "Oh hey there Ise-kun. Good to see you back in the clubroom."

"…Good morning, Ise-sama," Koneko greeted in her normal bland self as she walked to her usual spot on the couch. Her sharp eyes caught sight of the wooden box on the coffee table.

Issei managed to break away from Asia and returned the greetings. Stern yet respectable to Yuuto and cheerful and friendly to Koneko. "Handsome. And good morning Kone—"

He stopped himself, expecting to get cut off by some sort of insult, as was everyone else. However, none came. Rather, after a moment of thought, everyone began to realize the oddity of her behavior. First, she did not shy away from him. She normally went _around _the room to get to stay as far away from him as possible. Second, she _greeted _him; something she had _never _done before.

Third, she had added an honorific of high respect to his name.

The object of everyone's attention stopped trying to pry her fingers into the lid of the box to gaze back at her fellow Pieces and King. Her dull eyes looked at each of them individually, matching their looks with one of her own.

"…What?" She asked in her normal emotionless tone, only slightly tilting her head to indicate there was somewhat of a curiosity in her.

Although she did ask such a question, she didn't have the attention to find the answer. Her focus went back to the box Issei had brought, trying to undo the lock he had placed. She even went as far as to scratch at it like a cat… which wouldn't be far from the truth.

Come to think about it, as Rias mulled it over, Koneko has been acting more and more like a feline ever since Issei showed up. She didn't know what to make of it.

"Ara, ara~" the sound of Akeno's crackling made for a good distraction. She came out of the other room which had previously been used as the home economics class back when Kuoh Academy was an all-girl's school. She was pushing a large cart with all sorts of sweets and beverages. On the top was a large cake. "It looks like everyone's here. Why don't we begin the celebrations then, Buchou?"

"…R-Right," Rias clapped her hands as was her way of regaining the center of attention. With her hands on her hips and a warm smile, she announced to her Pieces. "Thank you everyone for coming to the clubroom this early. I figured before school starts we should be welcoming our newest member to the Occult Research Club as well as a student of Kuoh Academy."

"Eh?!" Issei was the one to react. His eyes went over towards Asia, who blushed at his gaze but returned with a small smile. He eyed her attire, _just _realizing she wasn't in one of her normal dresses he had bought her but instead in a traditional female uniform. "No way. So Asia, you're going to be attending school with us?"

Her smile brightened as she clasped her hands together. "Yes. And Rias managed to place me in the same class as you. So please continue to take care of me, Ise."

"Ehhhhh?! Really Buchou?!" Excitement lit up his face. It was good to see him back to his old self. Having Asia around was a good decision.

"Well now that she's my Bishop, she's going to need to enroll if she's going to be a part of the Occult Research Club," was her reasoning. Though this was moot as Asia could perform Devil tasks without having to be a student. "However, Asia, sorry but I'm still looking for a place for you to stay. I should be able to find you an apartment close to the school by the end of the week."

The blonde's bright smile had dimmed considerably. "You… You mean I can't stay with Ise…?"

Even Issei seemed dispirited. "But Buchou! I had promised to take care of Asia and protect her always!"

"I understand that, Ise," Rias sighed. "But it's indecent for a boy and a girl to be living together without supervision. What do you think the school board will say when—"

"Oh I'm sure your father will understand, given the circumstances, Buchou," interjected Akeno. "I think this will be good for the both of them."

"Why don't we worry about that all later?" Yuuto waved a hand in dismissal. "Isn't this supposed to be a celebration anyways?"

Rias shrugged, "Oh alright. Asia, let us welcome you officially to the Occult Research Club."

Drinks were shared as everyone made a toast. Laughter was made as the group made jokes about Issei and Asia being inseparable. Naturally, Asia blushed up a storm yet didn't deny the comments. Issei, unfortunately, didn't quite understand the teasing and the words completely flew over his head. He went on about how he would always protect Asia no matter what and would never leave her side, which made Asia brighten up the room with her smile it almost hurt to look at.

Rias smiled. It was as if the previous events never happened.

"Hey wait a minute!" Issei made an outburst as soon as they began to cut the cake. "I didn't get any of this when I became a Devil!"

"Well Asia is a big, important Bishop," Rias began to tease him, adding in a wink. "And you, for as adorable as you are, are just a Pawn."

"B-B-B-B-Buchooooouuuuuu~" Tears began to fall down his eyes. Rias couldn't tell if he was being serious or if these were the normal tears he shed whenever Koneko rejected his kindness or Akeno toyed with his feelings. Though they were genuine tears of woe, she could at least tell that his feelings weren't actually hurt.

"Y-You're important to me, Ise!" Asia came to his support with a bold look on her face.

…Honestly. It was like these two had gotten hitched when she wasn't looking.

"Ise-sama," Koneko came up to the crying dragon with the wooden box in her arms. She held it up for him to grab. Her eyes demanded him to open it as her curiosity was getting to her.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Issei wiped away the tears and recovered as though he hadn't gone through his usual five-second heartbreak.

When he grabbed the box from her, there was a fraction of a second in which the tips of his fingers slid against the surface of her skin. Koneko's reaction was impeccably hidden, even Rias wasn't sure if she had been imagining things. But the former Nekomata's hands twitched as though trying to reach for his grip. It was such a tiny movement it couldn't have been real.

Rias' doubts were put down when her Rook's cheeks had the lightest shade of pink. Again, hardly noticeable as Koneko had the least amount of emotion of everyone in the group. But it was there nonetheless.

…Surely Koneko was starting to have feelings for Issei… was she?

The soft cackling of Akeno told her she wasn't the only one to come to this conclusion.

As the Queen continued to serve slices of cake and place them onto the coffee table for anyone to grab, Issei hefted the box to balance on his left palm. Everyone else watched what he was doing. Some eyes widened when they saw his eyes shift from their soft brown hue to a _sharp _green with diamond pupils. Rias could feel his abnormal draconian energy course through his veins that sent tingles running down her spine. His powers had grown exponentially as she could feel it without having to rely on any Devil charm. Perhaps even a normal human could feel it, given if they were close enough and Issei would do this… transformation in the open.

His signature wasn't the only thing to change. When Issei opened his mouth, his teeth had sharpened to that of fangs with the canines resembling that of a Vampire's. Pressing his right thumb to one of the fangs, he opened a small cut at the tip.

There was so much _power _within that small speck of blood. Unbound and released into the open world, Rias could feel the energy as though she were standing in front of an oven. She wasn't the only one to notice as Yuuto tensed, Koneko took a step back, and Akeno stopped serving to examine him.

…However, strangely, the only one unaffected by this was Asia. She only showed an expression of worry when he had bit his thumb.

If Issei had noticed their behavior, he didn't show anything to say. Instead, his focus was upon the box in the other hand. He smeared the blood over the combination lock and waited. Immediately, the tumbler began to spin in a typical three-turn combination before unlocking.

Issei placed the box down at the center of the table, opened it, and revealed a set of ten keys. Ordinary keys. Mundane, modern-day keys. Such as the kind you use to open a mailbox or apartment.

"I wanted to give you guys these as soon as possible," he said as he pulled out a key for each person in the room minus himself. "These are the keys to my house. You guys were there for me even if you didn't know what was going on. I trust you all. So feel free to come over whenever you want."

…All that hype about that mystical lock just to give them a new set of keys?

"Um… thank you, Ise," she tried to gather her thoughts as Issei went around the room and plopped a key into each member's hands. She examined hers and tried to see if there was anything… unique about them. There wasn't a trace of magic on them, no Devil energy, nor was there any of Issei's draconian signature. They were just common steel keys.

Asia accepted hers with a beautiful smile as she clasped it close to her chest as though it were the most wonderful of gifts. "That box is the same shape as the package you received. Were these what was inside from Wales?"

…Wales? Now there was something that got her attention. Why would Issei order keys all the way from merry old England?

So she asked.

And he answered with a sheepish grin and a scratch to the back of his head. "Well, normally I would keep it a secret. But I just said I trust you guys so it wouldn't be right if I continued to keep it to myself. I know a magician who helped me a few times in the past. Ever since the Fourth invaded my home and even managed to do harm to everyone inside, I figured my normal defenses weren't enough. So I asked him to fix something, and these keys were his answer."

Koneko stared at her key with frustration. Her brow twitched in barely contained annoyance. "…So they weren't sweets."

…She was scratching at the lid thinking he had brought a locked box full of candies?

"So what do these keys do, exactly?" asked Yuuto as he flipped his between sides.

"They keep you from being eaten alive by my house," was his honest answer.

There was a moment of silence as everyone thought over his words.

"W-What do you mean by 'eaten', Ise?" Rias dared to ask; though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

Issei wrapped a few fingers around his chin in thought. "Well, it's kind of hard to explain. But the gist is… I now have a new defense system to keep intruders out of my house. Something about only those with Traveler's gift can cross the space between spaces. I have no idea what that means. Just that there's a… wall, I guess, between my house and the outside. It's an area of nonexistence that cannot allow anyone to pass through unless they have one of those keys… or my invitation as I have the master key. And if they betray my invitation, then it's within my rights to expel them. And if they resist, then they get… _eaten._"

The way he shrugged as he said that last word indicated even he didn't know what it meant. And the way he explained things said he was reciting an instruction manual, or something of the like.

"My, oh my," Akeno was the only one to be smiling at this. It was noticed her smile was more radiant than usual. "What a despicable way of dealing with unwanted guests, Ise-kun. Your onee-sama approves, fufufufu."

Her cackling made him visibly shake. It wasn't missed how he inched away from her, especially after she had given him that alluring gaze that spoke predatory hunger.

"I-I just didn't want anyone else I care about hurt…" was his reply to her. But then he scratched his head as though it was a trigger, and his expression grew serious. "Listen, if any of you are in danger or anything like that. If you know you are facing an opponent you cannot defeat, I want you to get to my house as soon as possible. It is the safest place to be in all of Japan. No outside force can get in, this has been promised. And believe me, I've tried," he concluded while laughing nervously.

It wasn't missed how his hand went towards his left leg, but resisted touching it at the last minute.

Rias' eyes narrowed. Now that she examined her Pawn physically rather than his mental health, she was seeing something off about him. Especially how he was leaning mostly on his right leg. If her memory served her right, he had moved around the room stiffly with his right leg doing most of the balancing.

"…Issei, show me your leg," she didn't ask so much as she commanded as his King.

Looks went her way but then were shifted into expressions of worry with the way her eyes were locked on him. Even Issei had been taken aback as though he never expected someone to figure he was hiding something. He tried to smile, but she saw it gradually dwindle as he realized there was no way he could get out of her demand.

Grimacing as though bracing for something, Issei lifted the sleeve of his pant leg. The air was taken out of everyone in the room; a gasp being shared with Asia's being something more of a small scream. Issei's left leg was flaring red as though the skin had been sanded down. Then, there were _chunks _of his meat missing as though acid had been splashed over it and had…

…Had _eaten _it away slowly.

"I-Ise…" Asia was on the verge of crying. Without hesitation she had knelt down and went to heal his wound.

"That…" Yuuto was a little lost with words. "That's some gnarly wound there, man. You mean that's what happens if someone tried breaking into your house? I'm sorry for whatever robber picks your house," he concluded with a light joke.

"I'm sorry Asia," Issei said as he let the former priestess heal his leg. "I didn't want you to worry. They would have healed naturally within a few days—"

"They?" anger flared through Rias as she had caught his choice of words.

Issei nearly bit his tongue as he had slipped. Asia's eyes widened as she too figured he had more than one wound.

"Issei," Rias groaned as she pressed a few fingers to her temple. "Show me. What is the extent of your injuries?"

"…Buchou—"

"This isn't up for argument!"

Previously, he would have given her a blank look as though to judge her intentions for himself. This was before he had acknowledged her as his rightful King. This was before he had asked her to be his master. Now, he flinched at her words and her scornful emotion. He couldn't look her in the eye anymore.

Slowly, as though to prolong the inevitable, Issei removed his uniform coat, his red shirt, and then finally the black skin-tight undershirt he always wore to hide his draconian wings.

…The same extent of damage upon his leg had been all over his body. Rather, as though it had been by some acid-spewing parasite, Rias could trace the damage from the top of his right shoulder, cut across his chest, run down his waist, and wrap around his leg. It was a wound he could easily hide underneath the usual attire he always wore.

If Asia was whimpering before, she was sobbing now. "I-I-Ise… why… why would you do this to yourself?!"

"…I needed to see if the Sorcery could keep a Predator out," he answered, though he couldn't look at her in the eye as well.

Sorcery? Surely he meant magic. No, that could be pondered later. Issei's condition was far more important than some choice of words.

Her frustration spiking, Rias did the only reasonable thing she could do to express her concern for her Pawn.

She walked up to him, her intentions clear, and slapped him as hard as she could. He didn't stop her, even when his instincts made his body coil as though to react to her. Their eyes had locked but a second before her hand made contact.

But, _shit, _even with all of her strength her slap hurt her more than it hurt him. However, she refused to let this show and channeled the pain ringing from her hand to deepen her frustration.

"Issei that was very stupid of you. _Never _do something like that ever again. Do you understand me?"

He bowed his head, his brows twitching as he was fighting the instinct to retaliate Sona had told her about. The moment went away and he matched her with a look of his own. His eyes were sharp and unbending. "…Buchou—"

"_Do you understand me_?" she repeated and matched his sheer _stubbornness _with her own. She understood his intentions. Truly she did. However she could never accept such a selfless decision like this one. Who could possibly experiment with something so potentially dangerous on themselves?

Issei. That's who.

Their eyes stared at another for some time. Eventually, it was Issei who caved in. His expression softened. "Yes, Buchou… I'm sorry…"

She gave a deep sigh of relief and stroked the cheek she had struck. "Ise, there are people who care about you. Please don't make us worry like that ever again."

"…You know I can't make that promise," he said so low it could have been easily missed.

"Then at least promise you'll try," she had heard, however. She put her hand down and put both on her hips. "Ise, I want you to go home. Don't come back to school until your injuries are fully healed, is that clear? Asia, I'm sorry, but could you take care of this idiot for a while longer?"

Asia's only reply was to nod as she was still fretting over his injuries. She was fighting with herself to continue using Twilight Healing right then and there. However, given his condition and how deep the gashes were, it would be a few hours before they were complete.

There was just something irregular about his wounds. More like… there weren't any injuries at all. She was having to create new flesh rather than healing it. That's why it was going to take much longer than usual.

"…Don't you think I missed enough school?" Issei groaned. "I'll be gone for a full month at this rate."

"And whose fault is that?" it was Akeno who asked, finishing the question with a fit of laughter. "Don't worry, Ise-kun. Even if big, bad Buchou is angry at you, onee-sama is proud of you. I'd _love _to see the first person to try and slip through your defense."

"If you want…" Yuuto decided to speak up, "I can pick up your assignments and bring them to your house so you're not behind."

The chime of the first bell rang, indicating classes were about to start.

"Go home, Ise," Rias pressed once more. "We'll talk about this further later tonight."

"Actually, Buchou," Akeno spoke up, her smile dimming slightly. "We have _that meeting _later tonight."

Rias nearly blanched, barely keeping it in. Only Akeno had noticed, however with the way Issei blinked he might have picked something from her. His senses and instincts were far sharper than hers after all. Her displeasure was due to the family meeting between the Gremory and Phenex clans. They were going to discuss the due date of the wedding.

"I see…" was all she could say about it. She turned back to her peerage, "I guess we'll have a night off then. We'll meet back here tomorrow. Dismissed."

"…But cake?" Koneko asked. Although she had asked after eating Yuuto's, Issei's, and her own slices.

*Scene*

"Man… at this rate I'm going to have to repeat the year…" Issei groaned as he and Asia were returning back to his house.

Asia had been quiet ever since she had seen his injuries. He didn't blame her. Richard had told him _exactly _what would happen if anyone would be able to get through the first layer outside and enter the 'void between spaces'. But Issei needed to see for himself.

He was _soooooooo _lucky he was donned in his Balance Breaker armor. He barely made _one step _forward and had nearly died for it. If he didn't have the instinct of a fully-awakened Predator then he would not have been able to react in time. His armor protected him for but a fraction of a second. If he had walked in without it…

Obliteration was a good word for it. An absolute deletion of existence.

He thought he could fool everyone. But the truth was his body was screaming at him with every movement. It was understandable as he was missing large pieces of his body. Walking to school there were so many times when he wanted to turn back around and head home. But then Asia would have asked why he had returned and he would have had to tell her. He didn't want to make her worry about him, but that was beyond him now.

Rias was very upset with him. He had never seen her that angry before… the encounter with Fourth Predator being the only exception. But no sensible person would be unaffected by that sick monster. Regardless, her ire towards him made Issei feel guilty. He didn't mean to make her so upset.

Asia tugged at his sleeve. She had stopped walking with her head bowed. Her face was scrunched up with her lips trembling.

"Asia? What's wrong?" he knew it was a stupid question as soon as he said it aloud.

"…Please, Ise…" sparkles tickled from her cheeks to fall from her chin. She was crying. A heavy weight dropped from his throat to his chest. "D-Don't do this again. When… When I saw what you did… I was so worried. I've healed a lot of people, Ise. I know when a wound is too deep for me to heal. And you should be dead. The surface of your heart is missing…"

He didn't know she could determine such things. But then he realized he was a fool to have thought so. She had been trained to heal wounds, surely she must have been taught all sorts of first-aid fundamentals. A diagnosis of the injured would be the first thing needed in identifying what was wrong with them.

She was right. He should be dead. Even at this moment he was bleeding internally. It was only his control over his self that slowed his heart rate to a crawl while focusing everything on healing. At this state he couldn't do anything excessive. He couldn't even perform mundane tasks. Walking at a normal pace without drawing suspicion was already pushing it.

A normal person would have been dead in a manner of minutes. Even back then, when he had been killed by Dohnaseek and Raynare, the damage had been just as bad.

But… ever since he had unlocked the full potential of his Sacred Gear, had finally obtained all the power Ddraig once wielded, his body had gone through a metamorphosis not unlike the one he had gone through for the past three years. Now it was more instantaneous. His body was becoming more and more draconian to the point where it was no longer an effort to use that side.

…Rather it was an effort _keeping _that side from surfacing. If he slackened just a bit, scales, wings, claws, fangs— all the traits that made up the stereotypical dragon would transform his body. He liked pretending to be human still. It made him believe he could still live a normal life.

To the point, _he _knew he would live through this. It didn't mean the others shared his understanding. Even if he told them of this new potential, they wouldn't fully understand. Such as Asia, who continued to sob.

"Ise… _please _don't do something like this again. You're the first friend I've ever had. I don't want to lose you already."

He wasn't sure what to say or do at this point. He never really had anyone so close to him before. It was the life of the pervert that he chose to have others shun him. It was the life of a Predator forced upon him that had everyone run away in terror of him. Yet Asia never saw him as either. She only saw him as Hyoudou Issei: friend of Asia Argento.

It was a foreign feeling. Having someone else care so deeply about him. He wasn't sure what to make of it or how to react to it.

Yet, despite how she felt, despite how he knew she was so honest about her feelings, there was a whispering in the back of his mind that told her otherwise. Raynare had pretended to care about him. He had fallen in love with her despite knowing it was all false. Sona had always been there for him, yet she had spent more than a year terrified of him and keeping him at a distance. He had always pretended to have never noticed on the chance they could get over that hurdle; to which they never did until something as dark as last week occurred.

And then there were his _sempai. _The ones he believed he could trust more than anyone; beings who had an understanding of who and what he was. And look what they did to him.

He hated it. It wasn't fair. For no matter how much he cared about Asia, perhaps even willing to call it a platonic love, there was something stopping him from taking that last step.

Simply… he couldn't trust her.

He couldn't trust Sona.

He couldn't trust Yuuto.

He couldn't Koneko.

Not Akeno.

And not Rias.

He said he trusted them. It wouldn't be a lie. Yet it wouldn't be the truth either. He _accepted _them. He let them into his life, let them into his abode, let them into the place he slept and rested. He let them be with him in the time of his greatest state of weakness. Yet, the constant state of awareness that was a Predator's constantly watched them, examined their movements, reasoned and judged their potential as threats. Though he allowed them to get close to him, perhaps more than Motohama and Matsuda ever could, a part of him was watching… _waiting._

…Waiting for the moment one of them betray him.

"I can't promise to do that, Asia," he tried to reason with her as he patted her head. The crying died down a little as her doe-like eyes locked on with his. It made his heart ache looking at them. "I'm doing this to protect all of you. But I learned my lesson. I can't promise to not do something stupid that will get me hurt, but I can at least promise to take better care of myself. I'm never going to leave you Asia. I'll always be here for you."

She sniffed, "R-Really?"

"Really," he assured with a large grin and a slap to his chest. It stung like _holy fuck, _but he wouldn't let her tell. "I'm more durable than you think. It'll take something more than just a third of my body missing to kill me. Besides, I know I can rely on you when I make a mistake, right? You'll be there to heal me, won't you?"

She wiped away the tears and nodded. "Of course. It's the least I can do for what you've done so far. No matter what happens I'll use my Twilight Healing to patch you back into shape! But… please try to not get hurt as much as possible. I don't like seeing you hurt."

They continued their walk after that. They didn't say another word until they reached home.

However, Asia continued to hold on to his sleeve the whole way as though the moment she let go he would dash off to danger and get hurt further.

*Scene*

Issei sighed as he tried to clean his ear for the tenth time with a cotton tip. Sona had gotten word about his most recent experiment and didn't hesitate to come straight to his house to give him an earful. She had tried to teleport, but without a key she couldn't do that. She had to walk the whole way. One would think having a few minutes of walking would have calmed an individual down. But hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. The fifteen minutes from the academy to his house seemed to amplify her anger.

The lecture she gave him wasn't any different from the normal she would have when he came home after a mission gone wrong. At the least she didn't slap him like Rias did. No, instead she had blown out his eardrums. She didn't actually damage anything, but it felt like it and his hearing wasn't as good as it normally would be this evening.

It was late at night at this point. The only ones over for dinner were Yuuto (who had delivered his assignments as promised), Koneko, and Sona. They didn't stay to chat as they normally would, saying they still had their own business to take care of. Understandable, seeing as it was a school night. Plus Sona had her own peerage to rule.

At least he was able to give Sona her own key. Richard had given him ten plus the master key. Which meant Issei now had four more to hand out. He wasn't sure who else should deserve one. Maybe Tsubaki? She had come over on occasion to check on him and had been there to try and heal Ayame. Maybe. This wasn't something he should rush on, seeing as they were keys to his house.

Issei wouldn't be the first to say he understood how _Sorcery _worked. Something about directly defying the direct world, or something like that anyways. But he did know that no power could overcome it except for the original caster. Plus, the keys only work on the intended. They won't work if they're stolen by someone else. Richard had thought about it immensely.

…Issei wondered if these were actually just the man's hand-me-downs. It would explain why they arrived so damn early.

His thoughts were cut off by the sensation of a new energy traveling through his barriers. Already someone was using theirs to teleport into his house. Into his own room no less. The light of the summoning circle was beginning to form half a second after he detected the entry. But he couldn't imagine who would be here at this hour. Asia was already asleep in her own room as they had school the next morning. He should be as well, but it's not like sleep could come to him after everything.

He frowned. The idea that the worst had happened to someone entered his mind. It wasn't the only explanation, but the most reasonable. No good ever happens after two in the morning.

Rias appeared out of the circle; her hand clutched into a fist with the way she tightly gripped the silver key. Her face was full of panic and anxiety. Distress. Desperation.

"Buchou," he stood up immediately from his desk chair. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

His mind was racing through an infinite amount of scenarios. But he put them aside. Though Sona had taught him well to formulate a plan on the spot, the ability was useless without any information. He needed first to get Rias to tell him what was going on.

"Ise, you said _nobody _can enter without one of these keys, is that right?" hope filled her question.

Issei nodded. "No one but those I allow. What's going on?"

She placed her key down on his dresser and strolled towards him. She didn't have her usual flawless grace. There was a weight in her steps. Yet this didn't diminish her beauty one bit. She was still strong. There was just something that rattled her. She was still someone he could save.

"Issei, you're my only hope in this," she began in a low voice. "I've thought about asking Yuuto, but he's too much of a knight and would have refused. No, I think because it's you, you're the only one who can make this happen. You're the only one I can trust with this."

He almost asked again to know what was wrong. But he held it back and let her settle what was on her mind. She needed a moment to think her words carefully. It wouldn't do to rattle her further.

Rias stepped closer, close enough for him to feel her breath. The scent of alcohol lingers through her lips. Not enough to render her incompetent, but just enough to influence her mind. She cupped her hands around his cheek, her right hand caressing the left cheek— the cheek she had struck earlier. Her eyes spoke of sorrow and guilt, but of also acceptance. Though she had regretted hurting him, she knew it had to be done and with good reason. A reason he accepted and would do to correct in the future.

"Ise… do you still wish for me to be your master?"

His response was to grab both her hands and pull them away from her face. Though he still held on to them in a firm yet gentle grip. "Rias, you're not thinking straight. Tell me what's wrong and I can—"

"I am thinking straight," she countered hastily. It did little to disprove his point. "I've thought it over since you've brought it up. I know only a day isn't much time, but I'm afraid this is what I've been reduced to. I've been stripped of my options and only have you to turn to. I know I said I don't want to hear about it ever again but…"

He had a response for her, something to help her settle. But there was a fire in her eyes that wasn't there before. Determination replacing her desperation. It was enough for him to hesitate and for her to take the initiative.

"You still don't trust me," it wasn't a question. It was an observation.

He wanted to argue. He wanted to repeat everything he had said to her earlier this morning. But the look in her eyes told him she had seen through his words of _garbage. _He couldn't deny he could fully trust her like how he wanted to.

"And I'll not deny I'm afraid of you…" her expression softened to one of guilt, though the fire didn't leave. "Ise, I want to make a deal with you. I want to be your master. You are frightened of being hurt again. You are afraid of trusting someone with the idea of them stabbing you in the back the moment you let your guard down. I don't know what that is like so I won't be a hypocrite and offer words of comfort. I won't even dare to ask you to trust me.

"If you serve me, Issei, I will serve you equally. If you become my sword and shield, I shall be your caretaker. If you answer my call and do everything I say, I will do everything you ask of me. Issei, if you serve me, I will give you the only thing I can offer you: my everything. My heart, my soul, my body, my everything. _I _will trust you, knowing you may never trust me. And I am fine with that."

He shook his head, "Buchou, please. It's late. You're not—"

"I can keep you from losing yourself," she continued without losing a beat.

That part had strung deep through him. After all, it was the problem he had presented to her this morning and the reason why he wanted a master.

"I will be your voice of reasoning," she pressed on, perhaps out of finding the crack in his fortitude. "You will never have to worry about straying away from who you are. You will never have to worry about becoming more of a monster. If you will continue to have the desire to kill, then I will direct you in a way where it will save lives and punish the wrongdoers. A monster still has the chance to be a hero, Issei. You don't have to be anything like _them._"

He couldn't say a word. His lips had parted ways as his jaw went slack. His eyes moved from her left and right as though searching for any deception in her intentions. There wasn't any. His senses could tell she was being absolute with him.

He knew this was wrong. She wasn't thinking straight. She wasn't being herself. He still didn't know what was causing her to act like this. The right and logical thing to do would be to turn her down, let her sleep it over, and talk in the morning. She could stay over in the spare room even to feel safe.

However…

Slowly, still gripping onto her hands, Issei lowered himself to one knee.

…The burden and torment of a Predator was too much on a young mind. Day and night the desire to kill was never weakening. Soon it would eat away at him until he would slip. One day, his anger would get the best of him. One day, he would be fatigued and be unable to stop his body from lashing out at the nearest 'threat'. He did not have the power to stop it by himself.

But if he gave himself to someone else… if he gave his everything to someone he believed would use his potential for what he believed in, that burden will be greatly lessened. Not gone completely, but he would have something to drive for. Something to protect. Something to devote his entire life to achieve.

…Was this not what Sona said to him?

In the sign of fealty and everlasting loyalty, Issei kissed the back of her right hand.

And on this day, Rias Gremory became the lord and master of the Eighth Predator.

"…For your first order, I need you to make love to me."


	7. Declaration of War

**A message from the author!**

Hello everybody and thank you for reading another chapter of EtD! Also, for those of you joining in at the first chapter and getting this far, I thank you as well!

...I promised to write Doll Maker and then Throne of Shirou, yet here I am posting the next chapter. I really need to get my priorities straight.

Anyways, I've gotten a LOT of remarks about how Issei isn't OP like I stated. I would like to argue that he still is. So why does he get his ass handed to him a few chapters back? Because even the "best" are susceptible to losing to "lesser" beings. It happens, more frequently than most realize. I suppose in anime this never happens. But then again, it's only in anime that there are "power-levels".

Next, people have asked if Issei will ever meet any of the other anime characters I've mentioned nonchalantly here and there. Like Shirou of the Fate series. Not in canon, really. If anything, I might make an omake at the end of certain chapters. Come to think about it, I should have done that this chapter since it ended up slightly shorter than expected.

So here we have the beginning of the Raizer arc. I had planned on this being both Raizer's introduction plus training. But there was too much to cover in training and I was capping at 14k. Hey, ten days is a lot for character growth. I'm trying to fast-forward that section as best as possible. Regardless, I want the actual Rating Game to have its own chapter.

Mmm... what I have planned for Raizer's and Issei's, ahem, "epic" battle (beatdown) will be worth the wait.

Please enjoy the show! Any and all comments are welcomed! I even welcome flames.

No really, I do. Bring it!

* * *

Deep within his workshop, Chase Lance Rolan, Sixth Predator, examined the bloodied white ornament through a monitor. The chess piece was sealed within an air tight glass box with the appropriate sigils etched onto both surfaces of glass. They were designed to amplify the effects of what lay inside, expelled outside interference from meddling with the mystic frequency of the chess piece, and worked together by overlapping their designs to register the box as a new reality. The Laws of the World could not touch whatever lay within the box. It was one of the many 'glitches' he had found through the use of his research in search for his cure.

He had used this method once to emulate a miniature Big Bang to see how the World was manufactured. His desire was to see how much Primordial Law affected his world and the manufactured one while seeing what lesser Laws enforced by Rulers differed. Said experiment, an entire universe of its own with 'life' already beginning to show up, sat on top of the cupboards of his kitchen. To his astonishment, these life forms were beginning to mold their gods as he watched divine creatures and entities manipulate the Laws of that universe. His maid thought it was pretty and so he gave it to her as a gift; to which she placed it accordingly to gaze at whenever she was at work.

…He'll never understand the minds of the Fae, like his maid. Even one who has been under his services for nearly four years. The mystery of that micro universe could deliver cosmic powers to any mage, make priests question what their God really was, or invite Outsiders through this glitch. Not to mention that should the box, somehow, break then all life within both universes will implode on itself.

And she used it as a decoration. Fucking Faeries.

But now, Rolan was using another box to analyze what made this Evil Piece tick. A Rook, as it was. He had quickly learned that when the host of any piece died so too did their power. But that power can come back with the ability to resurrect another individual so long as it was in the hands of the 'King'. Second, extracting the piece from the host resulted in the host's demise as the piece would synchronize itself with the Quantum Identity Cortex of the individual. Remove the piece from the 'soul' and the thing completely unravels.

The body would still be in peak condition. But it would be a husk without its core. There was no coming back from forcibly removing a piece.

Ajuka Beelzebub… either a Traveler or a genius to come up with a device that can completely recode the QIC to register the person as an entire new species. Either option made him an exceedingly dangerous being. But seeing as Guardians hadn't shown up within the past few centuries over this (yet) then it would be highly probable the Devil was as much as a genius as Rolan's resources claimed.

They say third time's the charm. As it so happens, this Rook would be the third piece he had extracted from that… nun? Priestess? Whatever she claimed to be. The first 'maiden' had been a sloppy mess. The second had been less… bloody, but she succumbed to the darkness almost immediately. But the third, after he had realized his mistakes, had been successful.

She was still alive. She was placed in a chamber which was a much larger scaled Anti-Law box. He had to extract her piece from inside there, seal it in the glass box, and then step outside. He was even surprised to find his experiment was successful.

Though, he had the fourth girl on standby just in case.

"Master," the intercom sang his maid's voice in her forever frozen happy tone. Another thing about pureblooded Fae, they were _always _happy about fucking _everything. _It was a testament on how different the psyche of a Fae was to a human. "Philips is here to see you."

…Even when the person she was talking about had killed a great number of relatives, friends, caused him a great deal of damage, had stolen her right eye, and assaulted her simply because she wasn't human… Viritsurugi was _still _as happy as a child at a carnival.

"Send him down," he said without looking away from the monitor. His options were rather limited as trying to interfere inside the box was impossible. He couldn't, say, poke it with a stick to see if it jumps like any other experiment. He could only analyze the fluctuations of the Devil energy while keeping an eye on the condition of the girl, Subject 3. He watched as she was panicking, clawing at the door and screaming for her King to save her. He also made notes on how her Rook piece was reacting to her anxiety. Despite being extracted both piece and girl was still registered as united.

If someone were to let either of the two out of their boxes, then the World will correct this error. 'United' will become 'Separate' and, like the others before her, the girl will die and the piece will lose its power.

"What will this result in?" asked Artemis James Philips, Fifth Predator, when he entered the workshop. He hadn't made a single noise, not even when opening the creaking door. It was as though the concept of sound didn't exist to him.

Rolan will never get used to his sudden appearances. Not even the constant presence awareness granted by the Ruler and the World by becoming a Predator could alert him of Philips' arrival. Philips had an ability granted to him by a god-fucking _Original _being that allowed him to hide from anyone's perceptions. Including the Ruler and the World. If Rolan hadn't seen the Original Sun, then Philips' _Radiance of the Sun _would have an effect on him as well. He could see Philips, but all the other senses were 'blinded'.

Still, it bothered the Sixth whenever Philips suddenly spoke up in a dead-quiet environment like this.

"Other than trying to achieve my normal goal…" Rolan began, trying to find the right words to explain his intentions to someone who knew next to nothing about the mystics. "The end result I have in mind is to see if I can alter the… function of this device. Right now I can only examine their condition. After I gain enough information I can reverse engineer them. Probably the most diluted of explanations, but in short, I want to be able to reproduce their effects."

"…You intend to turn humans into _your _kind?" the murderous intent wasn't missed.

Rolan didn't bother to turn around. His blue and red eyes were glued to the screen as he was trying to figure out the pattern while his system was running the scan. "For what god awful reason would I want more of _them _around? Acolytes are annoying enough as it is. Throw their abilities to a normal human? Then you're going to get a bunch of people like, well, _me._"

Philips was _extremely _prejudiced against _anything _not human. As a former member of the Special Intelligence Tactical Hunters, it was his job to hunt so-called abominations known as Acolytes. It was the primary reason why, a few years back anyways, Rolan and Philips were at another's throats. They were each other's natural enemy. But that's another story. Even after his services were no longer needed, Philips still went out of his way to kill them. And not just the Acolytes. He made it his life's goal to eradicate the world of non-human entities.

Gods, Devils, Angels, Fallen, Demons, Vampires, Lykens, _anything _that resembles being human but are _not _human. Not even exorcists and magicians were out of his list.

Thankfully, his targets were… limited. With Siegfried protecting most magician factions, Serene the Church, Hyoudou the Devils, and Rolan about two-thirds of everything else, Philips' _job _was mostly dealing with damage control. But all Predators agreed that should any of these factions target humanity or have humanity involved in any way then it was within Philips' rights to deal with them _his way._

At the least he couldn't go kill supernatural beings indiscriminately like how he used to.

"The question still remains, Rolan," Philips pressed further.

Rolan almost gave in to the temptation of sighing. Almost. It was more of a habit of him to react accordingly to a certain situation rather than an actual body necessity. "It has the potential to do that, if I can manage to decipher their… programing." Not the right word, and far from it, but the best for Philips to understand. "At the same time, in theory anyways, I may be able to come up with something that could… transform one of these beings into a mundane human."

"…Disgusting," was Philips' remark. A very dry one, but blunt and straight to the point. He tended to have the idea that if it was a monster originally, then it is a monster no matter what transformation it went through. More of a programmed mindset than a personal philosophy. "If this… toy has the ability to turn humans into Devils, would your research be able to turn humans into… gods?"

Rolan frowned at this. "Gods are a completely different principle than ours. They are spiritual entities born on the wishes and prayers of humanity who can take physical form. The closest to them are the Devils and Angels, but even then they are creations of those higher beings who need resources to shape their form."

There was a silence as Rolan realized he had lost Philips.

"To answer your question," Rolan gave in to that sigh he had been holding, "no, I cannot make an earthbound individual into a spiritual one. Humanity relies on the Laws that affect the physical realm. Gods rely on the Laws that affect the prayers of humanity as well as the metaphysical realm."

Again, he had lost Philips, but the Fifth came to terms as soon as Rolan replied with a 'no'.

"So what did you find, Artemis?" Rolan looked away from the screen when Subject 3 stopped screaming and went into a crying fit. It looked like she was going to be like that for a while.

"The Devil was in allegiance with _them,_" Philips strode to the next seat over. He sat with his hands on his knees, legs spread apart, and body erect. He was ready to move at a moment's notice as his training didn't so much as mold his body as it _etched _its mark into his soul. "Diodora Astaroth was quietly offering finances to the Chaos Brigade. Discreetly and effectively. No one suspected him of anything, from what I've gathered anyways."

Rolan's brows creased into his normal scowl as his eyes traced over the monitor to his far right. There on the screen was the chained Devil in question in his own cell, kept alive to have his powers active for experimentation. He couldn't move, couldn't call on his Devil energy to break free, couldn't speak, and his right eye was missing thanks to Philips' other abilities.

A few days ago the Devil had come with a few members of his… peerage to 'rescue' a kidnapped Asia Argento. Believing he was more than powerful enough to handle a 'lowly human' the Astaroth Devil barged his way through Rolan's territory.

He didn't make it past the first defense, the nameless forest deity that surrounds Rolan's manor.

Rolan knew at some point he would have to call Serene to tell her the Devil she had been after for some time was finally caught. And she now had evidence to present the case to the Church and the Underworld. But, seeing as she was currently dealing with a problem in the Middle East, he wouldn't dare bother her and decided to keep a hold on her prize until such a time she could receive it.

But to find out the Astaroth heir was working for that particular cult? That was a completely different matter.

"Do you have proof?" asked Rolan, not out of doubt, but delicate and sensitive matters like this needed evidence. Bloody politics, that's all it was.

"I'm working on it," stated Philips. "He did well to remove any evidence. Records tell he was investing in a few Underworld businesses. These businesses provided services and offered products on the surface, but the money he gave them went directly to another service, which was transferred to another, and so on and so forth until they were received by members of the… 'Old Satan' faction of the Chaos Brigade."

"So a barebones version of routed banking?" mused Rolan. Today, when working as a mercenary, not only did he list himself as a 'delivery man' of the Union Postal Service (a delivery service on the surface which really dealt with highly illegal job offers), any finances received was routed to a nexus of routers all over the globe. Should anyone try to track him down, they will find his location somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the case of societies where mystics were more important than technology, where records were printed on _paper, _having chaining business was just as effective. Though Devil society was doing well to keep up with human technology, they were still a step behind as most of their nobility tried to stick with their old traditions.

Plus, it didn't hurt to be the brother of _the _Beelzebub.

"What was the motive?" Rolan asked.

Philips closed his eyes as he dug through the memories and thoughts of Diodora. "A Shalba Beelzebub approached him and offered him a seat of power if the Old Satan faction would usurp the current Satans. Finances and inside information about the current Satans were given in exchange for… pleasantries. Some of the girls belonging in Diodara's peerage were… _gifts _from Shalba. The boy was greedy. Nothing more."

Shalba Beelzebub. Now that he had a name, Rolan closed his eyes and tried to search for his location. However, his location was nowhere to be found. Of course not. If it were that easy then the entire Chaos Brigade would have been dealt with _years _ago.

Seriously, ever since Adams McCain showed up with that neat trick to hide himself from any Predator all of a sudden _everyone else _seems to know it. Apparently there was an Anti-Predator bargain sale somewhere.

"So his interest in Asia Argento has nothing to do with his involvement with the Chaos Brigade?"

"His interest in Argento delves only into the politics between Devil-kind and members of the Church. There was much to gain should he had obtained the girl, such as her abilities as the Holy Maiden as well as the recognition from the Church. If successful, members of the Church would have spoken of his name for generations as the Devil capable of tempting the most pure of hearts to his side."

And it would cause a chain reaction that would make exorcists and other 'holy' individuals fear him. Asia wasn't the first holy maiden Diodora had stolen from the Church. Had he succeeded, his rank among Devil-kind might have gone up. Oh, he would still be a High-Class Devil, but a top-tier High-Class with a lot more freedom and privileges to his post. Once he became of proper age, his chances of succeeding in a Rating Game would have skyrocketed for having a healer who could patch almost any wound.

Thus he would be able to give more to the Chaos Brigade, which would result in them rewarding him further.

It was all by chance he and Serene stopped this before either of the two had to step in as Predators. It was Diodora's blind greed that was his undoing, not because of some intricate planning on Rolan or Serene's part.

"However…" Philips paused for a moment as his mind continued to search through the Devil's memories. "With his sudden disappearance, there will be those who will be searching for him. Both the current rulers of the Underworld as well as this Old Satan faction."

"…That's common sense," Rolan would have deadpanned the comment if it were coming from anyone else. From an individual whom he respected to be on par with him in every way, he held back his usual case of sarcasm.

"Follow me here," Philips leaned forward. "This Devil, who is not only the brother of one of the four leaders but also a sponsor of the Chaos Brigade, suddenly vanishes. They will look into his last known location. They will look into his actions. They will find he left the Underworld for Argento. They will trace her location here but find a dead end. However, due to most recent events in Japan, they will find that her location is there instead. They will question why and how."

Rolan narrowed his eyes, "I've already thought of this. I can ask Serene to deal with matters of the Church and Devil society. But it's a different… _problem _for the Chaos Brigade."

Simply put, Argento was supposed to be dead. The Fourth's earthbound blood tribute was to make sure her death was absolute. _Clearly _something didn't go as planned if she was alive. It meant either Hyoudou realized he needed to be a killer in order to save her or the boy had something up his sleeve without anyone knowing. Regardless, Hyoudou became a true Predator in the end.

The complication behind this was Asia didn't remain as a human who was supposed to die. She was resurrected as a Devil, by the same Devil who resurrected Hyoudou at that. Had she died, her name would have been mentioned, mourned, and then brought up for investigation. That would be the point where Rolan would deliver the Astaroth youth to Serene, with the Divine Beast presenting him before both the Church and Devils. Justice would be enforced, and the world will continue to spin.

At least, that was the initial plan.

Throw in a third party like the Chaos Brigade… They will ponder why their benefactor suddenly goes missing, why he was so interested in the girl to begin with, and investigate the worth of the girl herself. If she were dead, they would have sent their ire towards Rolan. They knew the Divine Beast was a Predator and wouldn't dare try to take vengeance upon her. But hardly anyone knew Rolan was a Predator and would be completely unaware of the trap they would walk on. However, since Asia _is _alive, they will target her personally.

He could try to warn Hyoudou of a potential attack, but the boy wasn't in the best of terms with the other Predators. He could only hope the boy's instincts could catch on to an imminent threat before it was too late.

On the bright side, as twisted as it might be, there was the chance they might reveal themselves. And if such an event were to happen, they could extract more information from them or potential rid a high-ranking member of the Brigade. Knowing these Devils and their pride, this Shalba Beelzebub would come personally.

"…I don't suppose there's a way you can be in Japan, do you?" Rolan inquired as his mind thought about Philips' second and third abilities. Having Shalba as a Twilight Blade would be a remarkable source of information _and _destructive potential.

"I've a Dusk Blade positioned at all times inside Hyoudou's base as well as another keeping vigilance on Argento when she is outside," Philips kept up with Rolan's thoughts and knew what he was asking. "I'll only use them should any member of the Chaos Brigade reveal themselves. Hyoudou has asked my father for a Sorcery to prioritize his defense. If my Dusk Blade is found out, I believe he can delete it. Had it not been there before the… renovations, it wouldn't have been able to infiltrate."

"…Fucking Dalyn," Rolan cursed. He should have seen this. Archmage Dalyn Pevensie— no, what did he call himself these days? Richard Royals. God what a fucking _stupid _name. How the mighty have fallen. Archmage _Richard Royals _was a magician of the highest caliber. No one could compete with his mysteries. The man could, essentially, do _anything._

…Even keep a Predator at bay. Because of his mentality and his status as a Traveler, the man could never be registered as a Predator. However, even Rolan wouldn't dare try to take him on. Alone, the man could push back, but never actually win. In fairness, another Predator would be just as unsuccessful. And on those exceedingly rare days when his true identity would resurface, Richard Royals— correction, _Godking Dalang_ could overpower every Predator _combined._

To the point, if Hyoudou asked for a house security system, then it meant he got _the _house security system. If the world's greatest assassin, who could hide from the bloody fucking _World itself, _couldn't infiltrate, then _no one can. _Period.

"I don't suppose you'll be willing to have Diodara as a Dawn—"

"No," Philips reply was sharp. "I want nothing to do with their kind."

Well, there went the option of having the Astaroth heir be a spy.

Rolan's eyes went back over to the bloodied chess piece. Throughout all this time, the girl was still sobbing in her chamber. There was no visible change to the piece and his scanners didn't pick up anything either. However, he wasn't thinking about his experiment at the moment. At least not completely. He was pondering on a plan to get the Chaos Brigade to reveal their selves. It was most likely they would strike in Japan for Asia Argento. But as things are, Hyoudou wouldn't allow him anywhere near the country. He'll more than likely ignore whatever message he tried to send his way. There was that Sitri girl, but so far she hasn't touched a single dollar (yen, whatever) in the trust fund. Thus she was more than likely avoiding anything to have to do with him as well.

What to do… what to do…

"…For fuck's sake," Rolan didn't hold back his disgust as the answer came to him as clear as day.

*Scene*

Grayfia stepped out of the alley as soon as her teleportation was complete. To think she had to travel from the Underworld to a dark corner was almost laughable. She had tried to place her circle within the house, but found that the targeted location could not be set. When attempting again, the same results happened. Frustrated, she went over the sequence of sigils by hand and wrote the coordinates onto the circle.

The circle fizzled out. That only happened when there was too much interference (such as workshops of magicians or sacred buildings of the Church) or if her desired location was in an impossible reach. Like on another planet.

Grayfia turned the corner and approached the front door, taking a moment to look at the nameplate of the building. Hyoudou; conveniently the name of her newest Pawn and the primary interest of Sirzechs for quite some time. Second, she traced her fingers through the air with a trickle of her energy through her nails. A simple analysis of the building structure and its fortifications. Nothing.

Come to her surprise when she discovered there was nothing irregular about the building whatsoever. It was just a mundane house built by mundane men for a mundane family. There wasn't a single trace of magic on it.

Her eyes narrowed at this. There wasn't a trace of Devilry either. This was the last location where Rias was found before… blipping out. And if this was the home of her Pawn, then his energy signature should have been lingering within the walls. Instead, there was nothing.

Unable to summon herself within the walls and unable to find any traces of life within the building? They were signs of someone who didn't want to be found and knew someone would be looking for them.

Who are you, Hyoudou Issei?

Unfortunately, she wasn't here to ponder about such things. She was requested by both her husband and Lord Gremory to retrieve Rias. She had left the meeting before the final details could be set. It was unbecoming of the Gremory heiress, and Grayfia could understand the girl's feelings but only to an extent. As she was the heiress of the Gremory Family, she had certain responsibilities she was inclined to see done.

Even if it meant marrying someone like Raizer Phenex.

Grayfia tried a basic spell to undo the lock. It didn't work. She tried a much more advanced technique. The same results. She placed her hand on the door and recalled an intricate magic circle she had used when infiltrating headquarters and stealing documents during the war. Anything with the concept of 'lock' would be unlocked by this spell.

It. Did. Not. Work.

Impossible. She tried again, this time letting the circle form slowly so she could watch for any mistakes she would have made in its formation. Calculations ran through her head. Everything was precise and perfect. She activated it.

Again, it did not work.

This time, she blinked in confusion. A simple Pawn should not be able to come up with a magical defense system that negated all forms of infiltration magic. Especially one who was formerly a common high school human. There was the possibility this might be the power of his Sacred Gear. Reasonable, as sometimes their powers surpassed even the Satans in certain fields.

Very well. If subtlety will not work, then something a bit more forceful will have to do. This was all for the sake of Rias, of course. Grayfia would never break and enter otherwise.

Channeling a bit of Frost through her fingertips, she charged the tundra energy and unleashed a small amount at the lock and doorknob. Instantly both froze, cracked, and crumbled. Without being impeded any longer, Grayfia pushed the door open…

…And stared into vast darkness.

She couldn't help but grimace. Now here was something she had never come across before. If she had learned anything from the war, the unknown was the greatest enemy. Anything can happen. _Anything. _It would be best to attempt this challenge cautiously.

First, she tried to determine if this was an illusion. There was no trace of magic or other spiritual or psychic interference so she ruled that out. Second, she tried to see how far this darkness stretched out. She closed her eyes and extended her senses through the door. The darkness seemed to stretch out in a vast space, larger than the dimensions of the house itself. But there was a 'floor' at least for her to step on.

She couldn't fathom the intentions of this area. The only possibility she could come to would be if this area was a trap. Such as if she was to walk in the area will close off and she will be sealed within until the lord of the house chose to release her. Unlikely as no one would fall for something so obvious. Which meant there was an alternative reason for this empty space.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained she mused. It was how she met her husband after all. Two powerful beings who knew nothing about another facing on the battlefield. Truly, if she could deal with that man then she could manage something as simplistic as this.

Shrouding herself in defensive wards and anchoring a circle at the doorstep just in case for an emergency teleportation, she took her first step forward.

Only for the door to open with a young man standing at the entrance.

Wait. The door? She had already opened it. And the darkness was no longer there. Her eyes traced towards the door still in the boy's hands and found both knob and lock were in place. And in the background was a long hallway with a shoe shelf at the entrance and a living room in the distance.

Did… did she just imagine all of that? What sort of illusion magic did the boy possess?

"Can… Can I help you?" asked the boy.

She took a moment to eye the boy. At first glance, he wasn't all that impressive to look at. Not exactly appealing but not repulsive either. Average would be a good word. However, her eyes picked up other traits about him that didn't belong. Though he was wearing a shirt over a long sleeve and sweat pants, she could still see the traces of _useful _muscle. Lean, strong, firm, and efficient muscle gained through experience rather than training. Then there was the way he was standing. Though the boy was a little shaken, his footing was evenly spaced and solid. He could switch between providing a fortified defense, go on the offensive, or retreat.

She couldn't tell if this was natural to the body as was breathing or if he was doing this intentionally with doing well to mask his intentions.

There was more to it, but she could only have a quick glimpse else raise suspicion. Plus, it was rude to stare.

"How do you do," she gave a polite bow, "I am a maid that services the House of Gremory. My name is Grayfia. I have come to retrieve Lady Rias. Her presence is requested by Lord Gremory and King Lucifer."

The boy was… frazzled. He continued to stare at her in confusion as he contemplated his next response. He was rather distracted with his thoughts as his emotions were written all over his face. "Um… Hyoudou Issei. Nice to meet you. As for Buchou… well she's in the shower at the moment. I guess you can come in and wait for her…"

She questioned his intelligence. He was letting her in without a trace of suspicion other than what was generally given to any stranger. She didn't pick up any alternative motive. If this was Rias' new Pawn, the same who had constructed such defenses within his house the likes Grayfia had trouble dealing with, she imagined him to be a crafty individual. Instead, he was open minded, polite (if not a little clueless with the way he was indiscreetly undressing her), and wore his emotions on his sleeves.

…Or, this was all an act and was far more crafty than she gave him credit for. No one acquires a body with reactions like his just on the fly.

Nonetheless, again with precautions, she entered the den after politely bowing. As she switched her shoes for a pair of guest slippers, her senses picked up what she couldn't at the doorstep. His energy signature was weak, hardly existent, as expected of a mundane human reborn Devil. However, there was something… poignant blending in with the demonic energy. Something quiet, slumbering, idle, yet coinciding with the Devilry enough that only the most sensitive of magicians or Devil-kind could pick up the difference.

And dangerous. _Very _dangerous.

Second, as he led her down the hall, she picked up the scents lingering on the boy. She could smell the soaps he had lathered over himself, but it did little to hide what a full shower would have done. The boy must have been in a hurry to cleanse himself and could only surmise this was the best he could do. Perhaps in haste due to her sudden arrival?

The scent of sweat and musk lingered through the air. Subtle and hardly noticeable, but there. It was a combination she was familiar with.

Surely… Rias didn't… with this _boy_—

Third, as though reading her thoughts, the boy's body tensed without having to break his normal stride. It was the smallest of adjustments, something no normal person or even some of the more experienced of veterans could have noticed. But those who had seen countless bloodshed, such as Grayfia, who had but a glimmer of warning that decided between life and death, could see it.

The boy had sensed the trickle of dark intentions she had against him if her suspicions were true. And he was readying to defend himself should she follow through. Expertly, almost masterfully. His breathing did not change, his steps did not change— everything about his rhythm remained the same.

These reactions were… _too _natural for a boy his age. Even Grayfia didn't reach this pinnacle until several years into the war.

Was being a normal human just a ruse?

"Have a seat and feel free to make yourself comfortable," he gestured towards the couches in the living room. His mannerisms were genuine, if not a little nervous, but his body was still coiled to attack at an instant. "I… um… will make some tea. Now where did Asia put the Earl Grey…?"

She thanked him and took a seat that was offered, watching him in the corner of her vision. She had a feeling he knew she was watching him. And she knew he was doing the exact same thing. He muttered to himself, fumbled with the appliances from tense nerves, and went about the kitchen to prepare the appropriate sets. His back was exposed to her countless times and his guard was down. At least to most people it would seem that way.

They were both putting up a show to mask their intentions. To the spectator, it would look like the lord was treating to his guest while Grayfia was being polite and patiently waiting. Realistically, they were evaluating the other— two warriors eyeing the value of another like a jeweler with a diamond ring.

Except… why did it feel like he was trying to evaluate her bust size?

"Grayfia," Rias climbed down the stairs and greeted the maid. Said person, and perhaps her Pawn, had been aware Rias had been standing at the top for quite some time. She simply stood there, more than likely in hesitation, perhaps to build up her daring to face Grayfia. When such a time was found appropriate, Rias decided to reveal herself.

Rias was dressed in her school uniform, just in the same way as it had been before she stormed out of the Gremory mansion. However, a few lines here and there were wrinkled, hair combed but a little damp, and some articles were out of order. A sign of her anxiety as Lady Rias always made herself to be perfect in her presentations.

She was also trying her hardest to _not _look at her Pawn. Likewise, Issei was pretending the kettle was far more interesting.

"Lady Rias," Grayfia stood and circled around the couch to face the reason for being here. "Are you trying to break the agreement by doing something like this?"

Her brow twitched and her anger nearly flared. But Rias composed herself well and retorted, "If I didn't go through with this, do you expect Otou-sama and Onii-sama to listen to me?"

That's right. Lady Rias… _Ojou-sama, _had a deep fascination with Japanese culture. Very well.

"Both Sirzechs-sama and the master will be… _upset _after they find out that you gave your purity to someone so lowly," she stated it as a fact rather than an opinion. Indeed they will be. Had she arrived sooner or broken through the boy's defense earlier, she might have been able to prevent this mistake from happening.

The Pawn in speaking twitched at her comment, but went back to watching the kettle boil, which steamed almost immediately after.

Rias scowled and couldn't hold in her anger as well as before, "My purity is mine alone. It is _my _right to give it to anyone I acknowledge. Also, don't you dare call my c-cute servant lowly. Even if it's you, I won't forgive you, Grayfia."

She didn't stutter out of embarrassment. She stuttered because she was unsure if it was the appropriate word to use, given the situation. But she followed through with it anyways.

Yet another sign that this act between them was a mistake.

_Sniff._

Meanwhile, Grayfia almost had a sweatdrop at the sight of the Pawn in the background. Was… was he crying tears of joy?

"Anyway," Grayfia dismissed Rias' comment and moved back to the topic, "you are the heiress of the House of Gremory. I would recommend not showing your skin to a man recklessly, but what's done is done. I shouldn't have to press what this will mean, given that you are in the middle of a situation."

The Gremory heiress crossed her arms, "I'm aware of the consequences of my actions and accept them. Shouldn't it mean anything to them that I've been pushed like this to go this far? If I didn't do this then they would have never realized how serious I was against it. And if I—"

"Ah, excuse me Buchou, Grayfia-san," Issei came between the two with the tray full of tea and cups. "I, uh, need to get through."

Grayfia turned her attention towards the Pawn with some interest. He had noticed his King was growing upset, possibly about to throw a tantrum or on the verge of breaking apart. He stepped in to interrupt her before anything could happen.

Rias blinked and looked his way. Their eyes met, their cheeks reddened, paled just as quickly, and they looked away in haste. She nodded and took a step back for him to place the tray down on the center table.

"Why… don't we have a seat and talk about this?" he asked them both as he began pouring.

Grayfia took the couch opposite of them while the two took the one against the window. She noticed how the two kept as much space as possible, but tried to keep another within arms' reach in an attempt to persuade her nothing was wrong. As if an obvious tact would work; but, she ignored it. The two quietly sipped on their drinks. Surprisingly, it was Issei who had better control over his nerves than Rias.

The tea was also inadequate and not properly brewed. But Grayfia didn't want to mention it. Also, for what reason she couldn't fathom…

"Ise," Rias voiced her thoughts, "why did you set up four settings?"

Issei tilted his head and answered honestly, "In case Asia wanted some."

Confusion swept through Rias. "Asia? But… isn't she asleep?"

The boy's response was to look away and sip his tea.

Realization set in her mind. Her complexion paled. "O-Oh… oh…"

They all sat in silence for some time.

Rias initiated the conversation, "I don't regret my actions one bit, Grayfia. I would have probably killed myself if my purity was given to someone like _him._"

Issei raised a brow in curiosity, but didn't speak up.

"And instead you chose to recklessly give it away to your Pawn," Grayfia replied calmly.

"…I'll admit it was… reckless," Rias bickered. "But I chose Ise because I found him to be the best choice and more than worthy."

Issei brightened up at this.

"Though he may be a little perverted… okay, _really _perverted… just one step away from being creepy…" Rias continued, only to pause to drink her tea.

And suddenly Issei began to spiral down into a state of depression.

"But you'll find no one else like him. He is loving, compassionate, and will do anything for those he cares about. And… no matter what happens… he always continues to march on. He's dependable and I put all my faith in him, knowing I can always rely on him."

Then, his spirits were elevated. Not enough to make the world brighten like before, but enough to drive him out of his crying fit and place him in a state of neutrality.

"…Is this the man you chose then, Ojou-sama? Do you love him?" asked Grayfia.

It was a question that got both teenagers to freeze. It was also a cruel question, but a necessary one. It put them both on the spot, put the value of their relationship on the line and from there would determine the next course of action the both of them could take. This had to be presented at the beginning before it grew too deep.

"…Yes, I do," Rias answered with absolute conviction. Her gaze never once faltering from Grayfia's piercing look.

In actuality, Grayfia had her attention focused on Issei within her peripheral vision. The boy had stopped moving, almost stopped breathing. No, he _did _stop breathing. He became as still as a statue with his eyes staring off into open space. Grayfia couldn't comprehend what was going on through his mind, but she could make a good guess.

He was hurting. Hurting with a pain that no physical torment could ever compare. All because Rias lied about her feelings and he knew.

But he didn't succumb to this pain. His life returned and he went back to drinking his tea. Though it wasn't missed by her that his hands were shaking this time.

Finally, Grayfia spoke up. "Ojou-sama, I'm here to bring you back."

Rias frowned, "Did you come here of your own accord? Or because the household sent you…?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "…Or is it Onii-sama?"

"All of them."

Rias closed her eyes and sat back in her seat. Her hands wrapped around the warm cup as though it was the only bit of comfort she could receive. Her Pawn looked her way; it was then Grayfia realized his expression was never once of confusion, but confliction. Right now, he was deciding whether to leave her be to find her own resolve or offer some sort of support. Even after being crippled by her he still had the heart to worry about her.

It didn't matter. In the end, Rias gave a heavy sigh and opened her eyes. "You, who is my brother's Queen, came to the human world personally. I guess it can only mean one thing. I understand."

The two ladies placed their tea down onto the table and stood together. Seeing what was happening, Issei followed suite and did as such.

"Ise…" Rias turned to her Pawn but couldn't look at him in the eye. However, Grayfia noticed, he had no problem looking at her for the first time tonight. "I'm sorry about all of this. I wasn't thinking straight. I only wish… it was… more enjoyable…"

"…Should I forget tonight happened, Rias?" he asked in a low, unreadable tone.

Rias' eyes widened as she finally looked at her Pawn in the eye. "N-No. I would never ask for something like that. We both made a promise. I plan on seeing my part through no matter what. Do… do you regret this, Ise?"

His eyes softened, yet there was a tint of sorrow within them. "I made a promise. I'm never going to let another one break ever again."

Grayfia noted he didn't answer her question.

"…I see," Rias nodded in understanding. She then turned towards the maid, "Grayfia, I will return with you. We can resume this conversation at the Gremory house. However, I want Akeno to be present as well."

Grayfia expected as much. "The Priestess of Thunder? I do not mind. It is to be expected for High-Class Devils to have their Queens at their side at all times."

"Very well," responded Rias before, once again, addressing her Pawn. "Ise."

"Buchou?" he blinked and nearly flinched away when she suddenly closed the distance between them.

And gave a small peck to his cheek.

"Please forgive me with this. I caused you a lot of trouble. Let's meet again in the clubroom tomorrow."

Issei was incapable with responding other than a slow nod. More like barely lowering his head at a hardly noticeable angle. His eyes were wide as his hand rubbed the cheek Rias had just kissed.

"Yes, Buchou!" suddenly the entire world was flipped as the serious and timid scene was replaced with Issei brightening the world with a florescent smile. As though a child had just received the toy he had longed for.

…Or a pervert receiving a kiss from the number one idol of the school. Which was _exactly _how this scenario made it to be.

Grayfia held back a shiver. She had seen such a smile before. Her husband had that whenever they had their… intimate moments. Like on the day he convinced her to wear her customary maid attire.

…For the sake of every sentient being in the multiverse, those two must _never _meet.

*Scene*

Some few hours later, Issei _still _felt like he was on top of the world. Nothing else mattered at the moment other than the reminiscing of such a blissful event. The memory replayed in his mind countless times (to the point where it no longer resembled the actual scene).

"Ise, does your cheek hurt or something?" asked Asia with her usual concern. "You've been rubbing that spot all morning…"

Time surely flew when he was lost in his own little world. He was amazed he had managed to shower, put on the uniform, eat breakfast, and get out the door. Actually he couldn't recall doing any of those things. He suddenly realized he was walking beside Asia on their way to school.

Let it be known that he _did _wash the cheek Rias kissed. It would have been gross not to.

…Though he did cry when he had to. A lot. But it's not like he remembered something like that as he went straight back to his bliss a second afterwards.

"Oh, uh, it's nothing like that," he put his hand down to his side, resisting the urge to put it back to its rightful place the great goddess of beauty that was Rias Gremory had blessed. "But Asia, are you alright? You look a little tired."

Because he had been oblivious to his surroundings all morning, he had neglected to pay attention to Asia. There were bags under her eyes, her steps were heavier than normal, and there was a sort of brooding atmosphere around her. He also realized she had not said a single word to him this morning. Not one.

Asia flushed and tried to wave it off frantically, "I-It's nothing! I, I, I just had some trouble sleeping last night…"

It was impossible this time to not see her mood darken. Asia was distraught by the events of last night. She had woken up in the middle of the night hearing strange noises coming from Issei's room. Fearing he was having a fit she rushed to his room. She blamed no one but herself for falling asleep trying to stay up with him watching a movie. Issei was also kind enough to tuck her into bed.

He even had the kindness to change her clothes. What a thoughtful boy he was.

However, she stopped at his door when she heard someone else's voice mixed in with his. Not sure what to do, but agreeing with herself that Issei's wellbeing was more important than privacy, Asia opened the door just a smidgeon to peek inside.

She saw Rias on top of him. Neither of them was wearing clothes as their limbs were entwined. Their breathing was heavy as they were pushing and pulling the other like it was some sort of game. And Issei's… was entering Rias'…

Asia didn't know what they were doing. But it sure wasn't some game. It felt like she was observing something she had no right to be a part of. As quietly as she could, she shut the door and returned to her room.

But when she got there, the tears were already starting to fall. Her chest was aching worse than when Raynare stole her Sacred Gear. The worst part of it was Asia had no idea why she was hurting so much.

When she started to hear a third voice, Asia snuck out of her room. She didn't mean to eavesdrop. Truly she didn't. She just wanted to know why Rias and Issei were doing… whatever that was.

…And why he never did something like that with her.

She had heard Issei's comment about serving Asia a cup a tea. Meaning he knew she was awake and more than likely knew she saw. But instead of taking him up on his offer, she fled back to her room, ashamed of what she had done. She stayed up for the rest of the night trying to come to terms with what she had witnessed and make sense of it all. She cried until her alarm went off, signifying the start of a new day.

She and Issei had a very quiet breakfast. She was afraid of what to say to him or how to ask about what happened last night. But, she found that she couldn't. She came to the verge of doing it, but after seeing him so happy this morning she couldn't take that final step. If he was happy, then so was she.

It didn't stop the feeling in her chest from aching though.

As for Issei, in the middle of… _that _with Rias, he had noticed Asia move around the house, stand before his doorway, and had seen them in their act. No matter how distracted he was with Rias, the curse of constant awareness alerted him of Asia's presence. He probably could have done something to prevent this from happening. But he was too caught in the moment, caught in surprise, to come up with a plan. Because of his carelessness, Asia had seen and ran away.

And now, again caught up in his own selfishness, he neglected Asia's feelings once again. The kiss Rias had given him was wonderful, absolutely, but it served as nothing more than a shallow distraction.

It was the only form of compassion she had given him last night. There was no love in their bonding like he had always fantasized. It was awkward, sloppy, hurtful, shameful, and probably the biggest mistake of either of their lives. Then, there was the bold-face lie about loving him that hurt his core. He already knew Rias didn't truly love him and that she was using him for her needs just as he was with her for his. But it still hurt.

So, yes, the one spark of good, the small peck on his cheek, was like a flame in the middle of a frozen tundra. And it was everything to him right now.

But, in due time, sooner than he so desired, that flame will die down and he will have to come to deal with his surroundings. The storm wasn't going away. From here on out he knew it was only going to grow stronger.

"Listen… Asia…" Issei grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop. He saw her lips tremble as though ready to cry, but at the same time her hand gripped his so tightly he could feel her whole body shaking. In return, he held his grip firm and rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand. "About last night…"

Their eyes met. Issei stared into the eyes of a person who was not mad at him, only hurt and confused. She wanted answers but wasn't willing to make a deal out of it if it meant upsetting him. There was also something _more _in that stare. An intimacy that had always been there since the day they met but had been unable to see it until now. A feeling so strong that shouldn't exist with what little time they have known another thus far, yet it was there nonetheless.

His eyes widened when Asia dropped her bag to place her other hand over his. She took a step forward, closing off what space was between them. Her eyes pleaded with him through a mixture of emotions not even his draconian senses could understand. "Issei… I…"

"ISSEI YOU BASTARD!" came the harmonic synchrony of the last two individuals he wanted to meet right now.

Instincts flaring and body moving before he realized what was going on, Issei caught the foot and fist coming to smash his face in. Truth be told, he knew Motohama and Matsuda were going to do this, probably even before the two knew it themselves, and had more than enough time to prepare. But with his mind drawing a blank from Asia, he could only react at the last moment.

It astounded him how a pair of humans, two that were below average on the physical scale at that, were able to cause his feet to slide back an inch despite using the Defender stance. Even more so that there was a small shockwave coming from Motohama's fist meeting his palm and Matsuda was doing a screwdriver kick of all things!

But such was the power of a pervert. Restrictions such as physical probably were thrown out the window.

It also took Issei every ounce of his will to _not _break every bone in their body when he threw them over his shoulder and slam them back down to the ground. The concrete sidewalk cracked in spider webs. A normal human would have broken every bone in their body with their squishy flesh popping open like fruit. But to a pair of super perverts who on a daily basis went through near-death experiences when being caught peeping on the girl's kendo team?

They've been through worse. There was just something unnatural about those kendo girls. Something that would warrant even a Predator to stay away from.

"Okay I'll bite," Issei said to the pair twitching with their faces still planted _into_ the sidewalk. "What's this about, you two?"

Asia wanted to say something and to tend to their wounds, but Issei waved at her to let them be. The assured look told her that they would be fine.

Her worries were put to rest when the two jumped to their feet as though they didn't just have their skulls cracked like egg shells… with blood flowing excessively from their brows.

"How could you betray us like this?!" cried Motohama as he grabbed Issei's collar. Literally cried. He sniffed back some snot and continued, "We were worried that you went home without saying a word and as bros we thought we'd try to cheer you up by bringing some of _the goods _from my secret stash!"

"But instead we find you walking _hand in hand _with the mysterious transfer student, Asia Argento!" Matsuda fixed his glasses in the way that made the lighting reflecting the sun was akin to divine retribution. "Tell me, Ise, just _why _are you walking with her?"

…He supposed Matsuda must have hacked the school system (again) when finding out about a new transfer student. Asia was supposed to have her first day yesterday but due to Issei's wounds had the both of them return home.

"As if Rias Gremory wasn't enough!" shouted Motohama further. "We didn't even mind if you were in the same club as Himejima Akeno or Toujou Koneko. But to steal the blonde beauty when we weren't looking?! What happened to being losers united?!"

Issei put his foot down, "Guys!"

"WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXCUSES!" they shouted in unison.

But that's as far as he got as they kicked his knees in, bringing him to the floor, and started to stomp on him. Thus began their usual tussle whenever one of the three ever got a porno, an eroge, or even a figurine that the other two craved. Their brawl— _slap fight— _caused anyone spectating the argument before to look away in shame as it was the most pathetic attempt of a fight known to mankind.

And Issei just let them. Because this is what friends do. This is what they had been doing for as long as they've known another. Sure he could blow them away from here to the moon six to seven hundred times over, but he won't. Because, despite how much they pissed him off, he wouldn't dare harm a single one of his buddies.

"Um!" Asia tried to get their attention. "Please no fighting! P-Please? You shouldn't be doing that if you're all friends! Oh Lord, what should I— Ow!"

Asia clutched her head as the sharp strike of pain hit her as soon as she tried praying for answers. Even a casual prayer would call upon God's wrath onto any Devil that so tried.

The other students who happened to be on their way to school decided to walk on the opposite side of the street and pretend the three super perverts plus one odd foreign girl didn't exist.

*Scene*

"They seemed nice," Asia said as she, Issei, and Yuuto all walked through the halls of the old school building to the clubroom.

"Nice, my foot," grumbled Issei. "As soon as they got what they wanted they pretended like they never did anything wrong."

Yuuto just kept smiling as he led the two.

"Ah, but they must be nice if you trust them enough to tell them you're a Devil!" countered Asia.

Issei blinked, "What are you talking about? I never told them and I know for sure they don't know about any of my secrets."

"…But, they invited me to a devil's threesome," Asia tilted her head with her lips puckering into a thoughtful expression. "Isn't that a sort of Devil ritual?"

Yuuto couldn't keep his charming façade as he tripped on open air.

Issei gave a heavy sigh as he should have known his friends would try and pull something like this. And Asia, for being the most innocent of beings on the face of the planet, had no idea what they had just invited her to take part of. "Yeah… you shouldn't get involved with those two."

…Maybe getting Mil-tan and some of his buddies together with those two wasn't big enough revenge. Sadly he didn't know how else to get back at them. Pranks were never his forte.

The idea of such a ludicrous act forced him to think of a similar idea. Rather, a memory of what happened last night. He should fell proud and magnificent that he had achieved one of the top things on his to-do list, and doubly so for doing it with _the _most beautiful girl he's ever seen. But instead he felt… sad. And guilty. Like he had done something so heinous no amount of penance would bring him salvation.

"Hey, Kiba," he got the attention of the blonde handsome walking ahead of them. "Do you by chance know what's going on with Buchou lately?"

Yuuto turned his head just enough to look over his shoulder. The smile was still there but his brows furrowed in thought. "Hmm… can't say that I do. I noticed that she's been kind of out of it lately, mostly staring off into space in thought. If anything, Akeno should know. You should probably ask her."

Issei made a note to do that as soon as possible. But right now, they were at the clubroom to report for the evening. He hadn't been pulling his weight as a Devil and needed to make up for the lack of contracts. His normal customers were asking for him and had to be satisfied with mainly Koneko taking his share of work. Though he personally thought any otaku would prefer Koneko over him, he was surprised to hear that they all were still asking for him instead.

Right. Time to get to work!

All three of them were surprised to find that including the other three members of the Occult Research Club stood the maid Grayfia in a fresh and fine pressed outfit similar to the one she wore last night. She stood beside Rias' desk, and aforementioned King was sitting in her chair tapping at the armrest in both annoyance and impatience. Whatever was discussed in private upon her departure couldn't have gone in her favor.

As soon as they walked through the doors, Rias' eyes went straight for Issei's. For a moment their breathing hitched, and they looked away from another just as quickly.

At this, Akeno's smile thinned as she gave an audible sigh. As Rias' most-trusted friend and her Queen, she knew every detail about what transpired between her King and Pawn.

Koneko, completely out of the loop, just looked around in confusion. Her eyes went towards Yuuto, who could only reply with a shrug. With nothing else to go on, she went back to munching on her sweets.

"It looks like everyone's here," Rias announced more so to herself than to anyone. She stood up and cycled around the desk.

"Ojou-sama," Grayfia adjusted her stance and inquired with a slight tone of concern, "shall I…?"

Rias instead shook her head. "No, I think it's only fair that I be the one to tell them. All right. Everyone, I have something important I need to tell you about. I—"

Issei pushed Asia behind him as soon as his senses picked up the influx of magical energy. A source twice as potent as his King's was invading her territory and about to appear without so much of an announcement. Flames sprouted in the corner of the room where the group would normally use their teleportation circle to travel to their client's location. The flames expanded into a ring and shaped into a magic circle filled with sigils and runes not unlike the Gremory one. But Issei didn't recognize the crest at the center.

"…Phenex," Yuuto spoke aloud. His body was tense, but not in a way he would for battle. Still, it didn't mean Issei will lower his guard.

A pillar of flame sprouted instead of the crimson demonic light he was familiar with. Stepping out of the pillar was a being manifested out of those very flames, reshaping to a humanoid build and solidifying into flesh and bone. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and expensive clothes formed afterwards to complete the transformation.

With a slight wave of his hand, the stranger, this Phenex, dismissed the flames. "Hmph, it's been a while since I've been in the human world."

If the room wasn't tense before, it definitely was now. Even Koneko, who could plow through any trouble within the room, stopped eating to glare daggers at the trespasser. Kiba was no longer smiling, Akeno kept hers up but was instead as cold as ice, and Rias was nothing but disgusted about his presence. Issei was on edge, ready to move at his King's command to get rid of him as soon as possible. Asia, feeling out of place in such a dense environment, gripped onto Issei's sleeve behind his back.

The only one completely unfazed by this was Grayfia.

"Ah! My lovely Rias," the young man spotted the Gremory heiress and quickly approached her. "I came to see you."

Rias tried to hide her curling fists by crossing her arms. She bit her lip to hold back the remark she obviously wanted to spit in his face.

The man either pretended to not notice or was simply ignorant. He kept his pace as he addressed her as though speaking to an old friend, "We should hurry while we still can. The date's already been made so we need to check out the ceremony hall before it's too late."

Rias moved to slap his hand away when he attempted to reach for her arm, but found someone else had beaten her to it. Issei caught his wrist before anyone realized it, including Raizer Phenex. It still amazed and frightened Rias at how… _unworldly _Issei was. In the blink of an eye he crossed the distance without making a noise or disturbing anyone.

The only one able to keep track of his movements was Grayfia, as expected of the Strongest Queen. Her eyes only narrowed slightly but she did nothing further as though capable of sensing his intentions.

"W-Wha…!" Raizer, however, didn't take the action so lightly. "How _dare _you, a lowborn _human _turned Devil, lay a hand on me! Do you have any idea who I am?!"

Issei's response was to tighten his grip and speak in a low and dangerous tone, "Someone who's about to lose an arm for trying to touch my King."

Flames flared on the surface of Raizer's clothing, scorching Issei's hand despite his draconian resistance. But the boy knew this would happen and refused to let go because of a little pain. Even if his hand was being eaten by the fire, it did little to weaken him. His grip tightened to the point where Raizer's bones began to creak. With just a slight squeeze he could snap the arm in two.

With a tug he could rip the whole arm off.

"Ise, that's enough," Rias ordered as soon as she noticed Grayfia was about to intervene. "Stand down."

"…Yes, Buchou," he ground out more out of irritation than out of pain before letting go and standing at her side.

As Raizer rolled his wrist, Issei flexed his hand. It was a second degree burn over his palm and fingers. But his muscle structure was slightly different than that of a human's. Built with the coils of a serpent's structure with a human template, Issei still had enough muscle to use his hand with little hindrance. Only a tenth of his whole hand was burnt.

Raizer saw this and frowned at how his Phenex fire did little despite the direct contact.

"Hey you," Issei spoke up regardless if Rias commanded him to stand down. "You're being rude. Actually, what's with that attitude towards any girl? Who the heck are you?"

There was a look of revulsion coming from Raizer that came from one who spotted bile or garbage on the middle of the road and was to be avoided at all costs. As one who did call Issei a low-born, Raizer did see him as such. Regardless, the mood quickly changed to one of genuine surprise as he took a moment to realize the question.

"Oh? Rias darling, you haven't mentioned me to your servants? Well, I am surprised there exists someone who _doesn't _know about me. Even a reincarnated Devil should know something as common as that."

Yet another person to think him so lowly within the past few hours. And to come from someone who was an impressive nominee for Biggest Douchebag of the Year…

"_His name _is Hyoudou Issei, Raizer," hissed Rias. "I didn't tell them about you because there was never a need."

Raizer placed a hand on his brow and began chuckling, "Oh my, harsh as always, my lovely Rias."

Rias' reply was to put her own hand on her brow and give a very agitated groan.

"Hyoudou Issei-sama," Grayfia stepped forward and stood beside Raizer. When she had the Pawn's attention, after getting a raised brow at the choice of honorific, she gestured toward the Phenex Devil. "This is Raizer Phenex, a pureblood High-Class Devil and third son to the House of Phenex."

"…Uh huh…?" Issei nodded in accepting the introduction but failed to see the worth of it. All he knew was that this man was at the same rank as his King. No, he had a slightly lesser rank as he was the _third _son of a noble family and not the heir. Isse's comment issued for Grayfia to carry on.

"And he is the husband of the next heiress of the House of Gremory," Grayfia concluded without so much as batting an eyelash.

Issei's eyes widened slightly, but more than enough for everyone to notice. Suddenly, everything was starting to piece itself together. That last part of the puzzle that he had been missing was the key he needed to put everything whole. It _definitely _explained Rias' desperation.

"…Husband?" Issei more so stated the question out of disbelief rather than for anyone to answer.

"Yes," despite she more than likely was able to sense his intentions, Grayfia answered anyways. "He is engaged to Rias Gremory."

Issei said nothing as his mind needed a moment to catch up with things. He wasn't the only one to feel surprised. No one other than Akeno had known about this. The other peerage members had their own reactions of shock and ways of dealing with the news. Rias, on the other hand, was digging her nails into her sleeve in frustration.

Meanwhile, Raizer gave Issei a smug look of a prideful victory.

It was then Issei felt conflicted on what to do. _This man _was the reason Rias was forced on the edge. Issei wanted nothing more than to smash his face in until it was nothing more than a smear on the wall. But his King commanded him to stand down. He swore he would never disobey her orders and would follow without question. He just didn't realize how hard of a pledge that was to follow. Could he still beat Raizer to the ground and proclaim it was in defense of Rias' honor?

Then his eyes traced over to Grayfia, who was watching him _closely. _He never missed her radiance of _power _that screamed at his instincts to fight her only as a last resort. Perhaps not on league with something the likes of a Predator, but pretty damn close— perhaps just one shy step away from being one herself. Issei would win, without a doubt, but the battle would come at a heavy price.

Such as the entire destruction of the city. Was the loss of a city worth a single punch to this Raizer douche?

"Would any of you care for some tea?" Akeno broke through the group as she offered a cup of tea on a silver tray.

Grayfia blinked, stared at Akeno, to the tea, to Issei, back to the tea, and then back at Issei. He… he didn't know what to make of that.

Regardless, Akeno looked his way and gave him a knowing wink. She had come between them in order to avoid any mistake he might have made.

"Mmm," Raizer took the first sip with such calmness it was as though he never noticed the hostile intentions in the air or of the psychic battle between the Pawn and Strongest Queen. "The Gremory Queen's tea is splendid."

"Why, thank you," Akeno replied… but there was only toxicity behind that smile of hers this time.

"Raizer," Rias spoke up after taking the moment to calm herself. "I have no intentions of marrying you. I thought I made that clear."

Akin to speaking to a child, Raizer gave a weary sigh and spoke in a lecturing tone, "Yes, I've heard that before. But I'm afraid you're in no position to say otherwise. Think of the situation with your household. It's quite serious."

"That's none of your business!" she snapped but reeled in her anger. "I am the next heiress of the House of Gremory. I will choose who my husband becomes. I've already agreed to take one, and know that it will _never _be you, Raizer Phenex."

Raizer clicked his tongue as he wagged his finger in a rhythm. "That won't do, Rias darling. You're not seeing things clearly as everyone else does. Both your father and brother are deeply worried for you and are doing this out of their own concern. You shouldn't insult them by throwing their hard work out like this.

"Think of the situation for a moment. They aren't just worried the household will go extinct. They are worried _you _will get into something way over your head. We lost a great deal of Devils due to the war; and though it is over, there are still skirmishes between the three factions. Why, even I have had trouble with them in the past. And did you not just recently get involved in an affair regarding the Fallen Angels?"

Rias eyes narrowed, "…What's your point?"

"I'm simply saying you're not safe as you are now," again, he chastised her as though she were a child not understanding something only an adult could. "Simply being the sibling of a Maou isn't enough; rather, it's _because _you are the sister of King Lucifer you are seen as a target. Why, even the Astaroth heir wasn't safe by being Beelzebub-sama's brother. I'm sure you must have heard he's gone missing; it's quite the commotion down in the Underworld.

"Not only will this marriage provide you the resources of the Phenex clan, but it will also ensure the continuation of your Gremory line. Two High-Class Devils uniting with a rare pureblood Devil being born under both houses? It's not a bad offer, Rias darling. You will be safe, your child will be safe, and your family will remain alive."

"…If it's about protection, then there's no need to worry," Issei spoke up when he had enough. Rias looked at him in the corner of her eye but allowed him to continue. The Pawn pointed his thumb at himself and announced, "Because I'm Buchou's servant. There won't be anything that will harm her because I'll be there to remove it."

Raizer blinked in disbelief as he stared at Issei. He smirked, cackled, and then fell into a roaring fit of laughter strong enough to have his head reeling back. When calm enough, though still snickering between words, he spoke, "You?! A low-class Devil just recently reincarnated with demonic energy so _pathetic _I almost mistook you as a human?! Well, I suppose every King does need its jester."

Around the room, the Gremory peerage exchanged looks as though they knew information that others didn't— which was exactly as it was, except Grayfia could only come to her own assumptions. There was merit to Raizer's words; even the Strongest Queen had difficulty sensing any demonic energy coming from the boy. He barely had enough to sustain his Evil Pieces from dying out.

But… that's what they said about the Bael heir…

"Do not take my Pawn's words lightly, Raizer Phenex, or you may regret it," Rias stepped forward to defend Issei. She added with a smirk of superiority, "Hyoudou Issei is a being that surpasses you _in every way._"

Raizer stopped smiling. "Oh? And what is it that you're implying? What, that this lowborn was the one to steal your purity?"

Her eye twitched. She was about to retort…

"Damn right I was!"

…when Issei opened his big mouth.

Raizer looked like he had the wind knocked out of him. He wasn't the only one as Koneko let the unwrapped candy tumble out of her fingers while Yuuto did a spit-take and began to cough riotously enough to start wheezing. Asia blinked a few times, tilted her head, and pondered if he was referring to what she caught them doing last night. Akeno laughed quietly to herself, mostly from seeing Raizer's face. And Grayfia's brow twitched only once before her perfect face returned to its stoic expression.

Rias could no longer contain her composure as she could only bring her palm to her face. Her face was as red as her hair and she didn't try to hold back the long and strenuous groan rising from her throat.

It didn't stop there. Oh no. Sensing victory was his for the taking, Issei charged on. "I've seen Buchou's oppai _many _times! Once, as a promise to bring the most amounts of contracts at the end of the week, I was able to do whatever I wanted with them for a full five seconds! Granted… Akeno-oneesama beat me by three BUT STILL! I've seen her shower, woken up with her in my bedside, had her dressed right in front of me, and last night I got to play with her oppai as much as I wanted! _And more! _So, Mr. _Fiancé, _how does it feel knowing that this _lowly _Pawn—"

"I-I-I-Issei enough!" shouted Rias at the top of her lungs as she couldn't take it anymore. "H-Honestly… you boys might like to boast about these things but us girls are… s-shy about our first time…"

Sometime during his little moment of triumph, Issei had moved towards the coffee table just so he could perch his leg on top and pose _like a boss. _He hadn't even realized he had done this. He supposed it was just a natural reaction when underdogs like him overpower the villainous douchebag at their own game.

"…Repulsive," Koneko's comment, however, sent his world crashing down. Her one word was so blunt it felt like his entire body was made of glass. It was filled with so much, well, repulsion that it had a physical effect on him. As such, he crumbled to the ground and coughed up a wad of blood from a collapsed heart.

It would be at this point Asia would come straight to his side to heal him. Instead, she was lost in her world with spots of tears in the corner of her eyes. She was patting her chest, comparing the dimensions of her own with Rias' _bountiful _mountain valley. Under her breath, she muttered things about 'if Ise wanted to…' while continuing to pat her chest with a look of defeat.

Meanwhile, Issei twitched on the floor like an insect on the verge of death.

Raizer wasn't faring any better. He had a hand over his chest as if struck by a physical blow. He listened to the Pawn's outburst with a grain of salt. But it was Rias' reaction to his words that delivered the nail in the coffin.

"I-Impossible…" he muttered aloud. "S…Surely I had figured it was…" his eyes went to Yuuto, who could only give a heartfelt smile and shake his head in denial.

"But for your lowly, unworthy, _Pawn!_" rage surged through Raizer's being. Veins on his brow threatened to burst as fire lit up the room, surrounding him in a blaze of wings. "I had forgiven you for surrendering your purity to someone else. Defiled or not, I would have learned to love you anyways, Gremory. But to find this… _human _was the one who defiled you?! You dare insult me, Gremory! As a Phenex I cannot excuse this insult! I will burn all of your servants for this!"

"Raizer-sama," Grayfia interjected before his… promise could be made real. "Please calm down. If you are going to continue, then I won't be quiet about it. I've been instructed to play moderator while you and Rias-ojousama sort things out. I won't hold back if I must."

There wasn't a single shift in her tone nor a movement on her porcelain face. All she had to do was turn her head ever so slightly for her eyes to look at Raizer's direction. Just his general direction, not directly at him.

And it was enough for the Phenex Devil to freeze in place. The flames remained, but their light and heat retracted considerably. Frowning and trying to resist as long as possible, he eventually came to realize his actions wouldn't be worth it.

Predator worthy indeed, thought Issei. Grayfia can give Serene a run for her money.

"…To be told that by the Strongest Queen…" he didn't dare finish his sentence as though such a thing was taboo or bad luck.

However… it didn't stop him from…

"But it's not fair! I wanted Rias' virginity!"

…pouting like a child.

Had Rias not been ready to retaliate anything Raizer had to throw her way, she would probably be on the floor with Issei due to some sudden blood clot bursting. Instead, she slowly shifted back to her normal mindset, trying to come to terms that, yes, this was her life.

"Well too bad!" Issei was back on his feet as he puffed his chest out proudly. "It's mine!"

"But I called dibs!"

"Well I didn't hear it."

"It was supposed to be mine!"

"Yeah, well, I got it fair and square!"

"So did I! My father promised it to me!"

…Yes, this was indeed her life. Lo and behold, Raizer Phenex, a High-Class Devil and one of the strongest of the Young Devils. And her Pawn, Hyoudou Issei, one of the eight most powerful beings on the planet.

Grayfia cleared her throat to regain their attention. When all eyes were upon her, she spoke, "The master, Sirzechs-sama, and those of the House of Phenex have consoled with me in the case neither of you were to come to a conclusion. Rias-sama, Raizer-sama, seeing as neither of you are willing to solve this matter reasonably, I am to inform you of a last reasort."

"…Last resort?" asked Rias. "What do you mean, Grayfia?"

"Ojou-sama, the masters have gained your attention because of your… actions in the previous evening. If you are so determined to push the matter to that extent, they are willing to give you a chance to prove yourself. How would you feel about solving this matter in a Rating Game?"

There were gasps around the room. Issei and Asia were the only ones out of the loop, however. They had no idea how to react to this.

Rias narrowed her eyes. "I see. So if I can prove that I am capable of defending myself against the likes of a Phenex, then I can prove that I do not need their protection. Is that it? Honestly… they don't believe I can stand on my own two feet… Alright. I'll gladly accept."

At her response, the sound of Raizer's laugher echoed throughout the room. "So you're accepting it? I don't mind. But I'm already a matured Devil and I have already participated in the official game. I've already won most of my games. Besides, lovely Rias, you have an incomplete set. I believe only your Queen stands a chance against mine."

It was his turn to give the superior smile as he snapped his fingers. At his command, a much larger circle of flame lit up the room. Several pillars of fire sprouted from the floor, giving several silhouettes of humanoid figured within them. Like before, the flames molded into flesh, form, and clothing. In a matter of seconds, a large number of females— girls, ladies, and women— appeared within the room.

Fifteen people. Which meant Raizer had a full set.

And Rias still had two Pieces remaining with her second Bishop immobilized.

_Sniff._

A single sound cut through the tension in the room like a hot knife through butter. Every single pair of eyes looked at the source. Hyoudou Issei was on his knees, sobbing hysterically enough for his tears to waterfall down his face. Continuously he beat his fist against the floor hard enough to warrant it to pierce through to the bottom floor. All the while…

"R-Rias…" Raizer wasn't sure what to make of what he was seeing. "Why is your Pawn looking at me that way?"

Rias had to take a seat at her desk else any other nonsense to happen today would knock her out cold. The room was spinning enough as it is. She shouldn't have been surprised that Issei was having this reaction to Raizer's peerage. "…Because his life's dream is to have a harem. Seeing someone else have it must have been too much for him."

"I-I-I-I h-h-hate you s-s-s-s-soooooooo muuuuuuhuuhuuuhuuuuch~" said Pawn hiccupped and began sobbing that much harder.

"…Is this really what we're facing?" asked the girl in the Chinese outfit as she sweatdropped. Many others felt the same.

Even the Gremory Peerage sympathized with their enemy.

"Now, now girls," Raizer took the Pawn's despair as fuel for his pride. The tables were turned. Issei may have won Rias' virginity, but Raizer had the boy's ultimate goal right before his eyes. He walked over towards his peerage and went to the first girl in the far left. "Don't be like that. After all, it's only natural for the lowly to look up to his superiors. Why don't we show him how _superiors _are supposed to reward their servants?"

While curling his fingers around the chin of the blonde in armor, he lifted her head up and gave a passionate kiss. A deep tongue-tying kiss with the blonde returning the favor with equal passion. She clutched tightly to his shirt and pressed herself as close as she could to him. She gave a sudden moan he began to pull her hair.

Rias looked away, watching a speck of dust float in the air with more interest than the scene in the background. Asia… had her face redden enough to turn purple before passing out. Koneko no longer had the appetite to finish her snack. Yuuto looked away while scratching his cheek. And Akeno served another cup of tea to her King and Grayfia.

However, Issei was frozen in place. His skin had turned so pale it was as though all the blood from his body had been sucked dry. His mouth hung open with a petrified look of horror. At some point his eyes had rolled up to the back of his skull from complete shock.

And then Raizer broke off from the girl and moved on to the next one in line. He repeated the cycle, and the girl dove into the kiss with just as much affection as the other. However, he turned her head enough for him to be able to look at Issei's direction.

He even bothered to give a wink. The nerve.

"YOU PRETENTIOUS PRICK! THE FIGHT IS ON!" Issei roared loud enough for the windows to shake. He tried to charge at Raizer, but Yuuto was in front of him pushing against his chest while Koneko pulled on the back of his shirt… not having to get up from her spot on the sofa. If he were of right of mind, he could easily break free from the two and bake himself some Kentucky fried _Phenex._

But the shock of seeing a real-life harem, proof that becoming high-ranked enough in the Devil society could make him the Harem King, in the hands of this _leech _sickened Issei to no end. Something wasn't right. There was a flaw in the Laws of the World. Raizer Phenex was a glitch in the Matrix! It was his right and responsibility as Eighth Predator to correct this flaw and remove this threat from existence!

This was a sin that could not be ignored. As a servant and practitioner of the gods of debauchery, Hyoudou Issei will see justice done!

"…Ise, please calm down," Rias gave a very tired sigh while massaging her temples from the ravenous headache today had brought her.

"But, but, but," Issei tried to protest. But from one look his King gave him, his resolve crumbled and he fell to his knees in defeat. He began sobbing. Again. "…Yes, Buchou."

Raizer was enjoying the show enough to go into another round of laugher. Issei cursed when he saw the girls pout when none of them would have a turn with him. "Lovely Rias, surely you can't say that _this _is the one you claimed to be superior to me in every way. I'm going to enjoy putting this lowly Pawn of yours in his place."

"Raizer-sama," Grayfia questioned, "does this mean you too accept the terms of the Rating Game?"

"Of course, of course," he replied as though it were a necessary chore. Something he found trifling, but something that couldn't be ignored. Then, a spark lit in his eyes. "However… Ten days. Yes, I will give you, Rias, ten days to prepare. I believe that should be suitable enough time to strengthen your peerage. Maybe you'll be able to provide me with some entertainment before our marriage. Think of this as my wedding gift to you. Ten days to… how should I put this… have your fun."

Rias didn't hide her scowl. It went against her pride to accept such an offer. With Issei, she could wipe the floor with Raizer and his entire peerage. But that was also the problem. Issei was only one Piece. She had the rest of her peerage to be concerned about. If a peerage represents the value of the King, then what did it mean to have only one Maou-worthy Piece but all others… average?

It… it wouldn't look well.

"Very well," she grit her teeth and accepted his offer, despite how much it made her look desperate. But then again, she was. Though she'll never admit it aloud to someone like him. "I accept. If I win, I am free to choose who my husband shall be no matter what the clan heads say."

"And _when _I win, we shall be wed as soon as possible," Raizer finished with a smirk. The other girls in his peerage had a similar look as they all eyed the members of the Gremory Peerage. They didn't see anything of worth other than the Priestess of Thunder, Akeno.

"Good," nodded Grayfia. "I shall inform everyone. The battle will commence in ten days' time."

With both arms around a number of his members, Raizer roared out in maniacal laughter. Flames lit up the room one final time as every member of the Phenex Peerage transformed into effigies of fire, quickly disappearing without a single trace of them ever being here.

"I offer you good luck, Ojou-sama," Grayfia offered with a curtsey. Her personal magic circle lit up and began to transport herself back into the Underworld.

It wasn't missed by the two most powerful beings within the room how their gazes were exchanged at the last instant.

"Hey, uh, Buchou…?" Issei scratched the back of his head as the heat began to die down. No pun intended. As his mind began to catch up with the current time stream, he began to wonder about something he should have probably asked at the beginning of all this.

"…What's a Rating Game?"

…Yes, this was Rias Gremory's final hope.


	8. The Champion of Gremory

**A message from the author!**

Gather 'round children. What's that I hear? Why, that is the sound of someone biting the curb and another gentleman kindly stomping the back of his skull as hard as possible. What's that called? A curbstomp.

Helloooooo everybody! Thank you once again for reading Eighth the Dragoon and I do apologize for the long wait!

First, just to get it out of the way, it's been established that I SUCK at math. I get it. I get like five reviews a week that bag on my poor math skills alone.

Second, again to get it out of the way, I might go back and just delete some of my previous author notes. Particularly about having OCs. See, when I started the story I planned on just going through the canon plot with an OP Issei. Yeah, he would still be a Predator but wouldn't include anything else. It wasn't until people said the didn't want a copy and paste that I decided to tweek things at the last minute. Thus, I introduced characters (Ayame, for one) and twisted the plot. And I will continue to twist it.

Now here we have the conclusion of the Raizer arc! This caps off at 26k words. Why? Because this is two chapters interwoven into one. You'll see what I mean once you progress forward. It was originally longer but I had to scrap scenes and insert others. I actually had to sit with my buddies and outline the entire chapter like it was a major college project, figuring out what to keep and what to take out.

I may have to post an 'extra' chapter after this one to reveal all the political crap Issei and a few antagonists(?) unleashed. Why the question mark right next to antagonist? Because it's up in the air whether they are villains or not. I know, but you don't. :P

I've FINALLY been reading the LN and gotten decently far. I'll be continuing that so my updates for anything will be slow for a while.

Last, I will be starting the Excalibur arc, BUT WITH A TWIST! Imagine that.

That's all. On with the show!

* * *

**Beta (*coughadvicegiverscough*):**

_Third Fang  
_

_Redmoon2_

* * *

"Alright guys," Issei looked at each of his teammates with a solid, determined, serious look in his eyes. He slammed one fist into his palm as he shouted out with resolve, "I have _no_ idea what to do here!"

A series of groans and facepalms was his response.

Having ten days to prepare themselves before the upcoming Rating Game, and seeing as they will more than likely lose without Issei, Rias had asked her Pawn to train her and her peerage. It was a simple idea. Though she could just claim immediate victory by having Issei doing all the work, there were a few problems with that tactic.

For one, it would stain her pride as a King. Rating Games weren't just about claiming victory. It was all a show, a testament to display the value of the King's peerage. Yes, it was a prize of itself to have a Predator like Issei under her services. However, what about the rest of her peerage? How would they be seen by everyone else?

Primarily, there might be something that will have Issei be drawn away from the due-date. Issei was a Predator, a force supposedly on the top of the food chain. He was also a defender of the planet from what she had heard from Sona. As such, Issei had the responsibility and duty to leave his personal obligations in order to prevent cataclysmic events from getting out of control. Issei had claimed he had never been called to perform such a feat, but anything can happen these days.

The other thought that plagued her mind was, what if, the other Predators would get involved like last time. What if they would come in, distract him, and leave Rias alone to deal with Raizer?

It was an unlikely and rather silly thought, but still plausible. They had already interfered enough in his life, even going as far as killing dear Ayame and her newest Bishop Asia. Who was to say they wouldn't try something else?

She decided to take up on Raizer's offer, despite how degrading it may have been. But she knew without Issei her peerage didn't stand a chance against him. Perhaps, by using the advantage of his arrogance, careful scheming, and audacious amounts of luck, they could defeat all of his Pieces. But to challenge Raizer directly? She believed only the collective force of her and her peerage at their peak condition would be enough to bring him to his knees. Not to defeat, but to humiliate.

But to go through the Rating Game against a full peerage and then to face him in the end? There wasn't a chance.

She accepted she was weak after her encounter with the Fourth. That… _thing_ played with her and her servants as though they were all children throwing a tantrum. But it made her realize how little she had grown and had relied too heavily on her natural talents of the Gremory magic. She had to swallow her pride and accept she needed to improve herself.

She swore she would grow strong enough to support her Pawn should he ever need to go to battle like that ever again. His burdens were now hers. And she will be _damned_ if she ever saw her Pawn cry again. It was her duty to do at least that much as his King.

The area of their training was a summer home the Gremory clan rarely used. She remembered a time when as a child she and her older brother would spend the spring and summer here. It was a large wooden area as far as the eye could see within the mountain ranges, untouched by modern civilization with the villa in the direct center. It was all Gremory territory and well protected by the family magic. No point of surveillance and invasion could pierce through… with the exception of top-tier High-Class Devils and ten-winged and above Angels and Fallen. But still.

They had chosen to hike to the location for two reasons. First, because Issei _still_ can't produce enough demonic energy to activate the magic sigil. His draconian power source wasn't compatible with the usual Devils' summoning circle; it didn't stop Rias from researching methods of finding a solution though. Second, she spent the long hours walking to explain every last detail of the Rating Games that she had spent years studying over.

Issei didn't respond much other than to ask the occasional question. He absorbed the information like a sponge. For all of his… lack of common sense, Issei was surprisingly intelligent. She'll have to thank Sona for tutoring him all this time. Issei definitely had traces of her thinking process, albeit nowhere near as high-minded as the Sitri Heiress.

Case and point: his words when they all gathered to listen to his training regimen.

"…Useless," Koneko was the first to respond.

Rias never understood why, but it was always from Koneko that Issei would have such a strong reaction for. She had seen so many other girls insult the Perverted Trio in the past, and Koneko's words were never any different. Yet, for some reason, Issei would always turn away, hug his knees, and cry while he dragged his finger across the floor. All Rias and Akeno could do was either make him flinch or shed a few tears; nothing as excessive as what Koneko could produce.

"Ise," Rias spoke up to regain his attention. She had seen the exchange countless times to grow rather bored of it. "How exactly did you learn how to fight in the first place?"

Issei picked himself up and answered with a bit of thought. He rubbed his chin and looked up to the sky. "You know… that's a good question. I, uh, really don't know…"

"…_Useless_," Koneko said with a bit more emotion than usual this time.

Which, typically, got Issei back into his brooding fit, crying a bit louder than usual equivalent to the amount of spite Koneko put into her selective vocabulary.

"Didn't someone teach you?" asked Yuuto. "I mean, it's not like you actually came up with those moves yourself, right?"

"Well…" Issei, once again, picked himself up and resumed his previous gestures. As if nothing happened. The group sweatdropped. "Actually, no one taught me how to fight. See, when I decided I wanted to be a hero, no one told me where to start. I used to patrol the streets at night looking for trouble a few years back. Mostly just muggers and drug dealers. But all I did was use my fists.

"It wasn't until I unlocked my armor and learned how to properly fly that I decided to do more… extreme patrolling. I looked up breaking news on the internet, found what I was searching for, and traveled the world to that destination to stop it. Believe me, I was shocked when I found out some of the instances were caused by supernatural creatures. Yeah, they were a lot stronger than what humanity could throw at me, but I just Boosted myself high enough to the point where they couldn't do anything against me.

"If anything… I would have to say it was my instincts that taught me how to fight. Constant trial and errors, Sona had called it. And I learned what moves worked, what didn't, how much time and reaction I needed for certain sets, how to provide a stable defense, and how to bring the most efficient assault. I'm still working the kinks out and have a few problems to this day, but so far Defender and Assaulter seem to be my best set. They're the ones I use the most."

"Ara, ara," Akeno mused, "just throwing yourself against the storm without any caution? What a very masochistic method of learning, Ise-kun."

Issei suppressed a shiver with the way she was looking at him hungrily. There was a point when he used to dream about a super-hot babe like Akeno giving him a look like that. Only now that it was real did he realize how… wrong it felt. The worst part, even his Predator instincts were telling him to get her to stop looking at him like that. Whatever Akeno was thinking made the threat-detection feature kick in.

"So… what exactly did Sona teach you then?" Rias asked.

"How to strategize, to look for an opening or weakness within my opponent, to know what I can and can't do, and to use the environment to my advantage," he responded more so as though reading from a list rather than what came natural. Knowing Sona, she probably had to cram those ideas into his head several times for him to remember them right.

"I have an idea," Rias spoke up and gathered the attention of her servants. "Why don't you spar with each of us individually and see where we need to improve? As the most experienced of us you should be able to determine that much, shouldn't you?"

Issei looked away bashfully. "W-Well, yeah, I guess. Alright, let's try that. Who wants to go first?"

"I will, of course," Rias stepped forward with a proud smile on her face. Oh, she knew she didn't stand a chance against Issei. But she was also curious to find out how far she could push him. "As a King, it's only right I make the first move."

It was as clear as day Issei wanted to say something. Perhaps protest for not wanting to potentially harm his King. But that look washed away as he stared long into her eyes. He found determination and a desire to grow stronger. He nodded and sank into his Defender stance.

As the peerage made room, Yuuto stayed the closest. His eyes traced every muscle of Issei's body as he studied and analyzed the fighting pose.

"Hit me with everything you have, Buchou."

Rias didn't need another word. Crimson power of Destruction coursed through her veins at her command. Manifesting into orbs of dark energy, she launched a series of missiles at her full potential. She held nothing back.

And her Pawn just stood there. Eyes turning green and serpentine as scales replaced his skin.

*Scene*

"Wow Onee-sama," Issei took the first bite of the main course. And only. No one else had the strength to lift a fork and enjoy the meal.

Koneko's answer to this was to just plant her face into the plate. Everyone thought she just passed out, but the small movements of her jawline put everyone at ease.

"This is very delicious," Issei's smile would have normally brightened the mood if he hadn't been the instigator of their torment.

"Oh… it was nothing…" Akeno had a witty remark to give, but lacked the strength to form the idea into words. It was a miracle she had been able to put together something for her fellow Pieces. Then again, she used the remainder of her demonic energy as well as Issei's help. Still, it was a miracle they could have prepared burger steaks and steamed vegetables.

Rias just slumped in her seat. She had expended a great deal of her demonic energy in today's training and needed the sustenance to replenish it. However, she was so bone-weary a soft bed and sleep was all the more tempting.

And it was only the first day. They had nine more days of this hell.

"I-Ise!" Asia scrambled at the sight of someone else getting her glorified 'friend's' attention and not her. She placed a large bowl of stew before him. "I made this just the way you like it! W-What do you think…?"

"Really, Asia?" Issei looked at the offered meal with a wondrous look. Eagerly, and foregoing any utensils, he lifted the bowl to his lips and took a sip. After having a sample taste, he chugged everything down his throat hastily yet not sloppily as to spill a single drop.

He cleared his throat with a loud sigh of approval. "Ah, Asia, how I love your cooking. You will make a wonderful wife one day."

The former nun froze in place with her cheeks burning red. "W-W-W-W-W-W-W-…"

Steam poured out of her ears as she couldn't find the ability to finish the thought.

Perhaps on any other circumstance, Rias would have found the interaction between her Pawn and Bishop adorable as though they truly were a newlywed couple. But the fatigue made her look away as though she were staring directly at the sun. It also annoyed her how Asia had gotten off the easiest. Hell, she was the only one among them who could _walk_!

Take Yuuto for example, who wasn't present at the dining table. Whatever training Issei gave the 'filthy handsome'— Issei's words— made the Knight incapacitated. Asia's Twilight Healing healed him back to peak condition, but the Knight was still unconscious and won't be up again until the morning.

It wasn't missed how Issei was in a _much_ brighter mood after his training session. By the Four Horsemen, dare Rias say his smile was just as mirthful as Akeno's.

They all sat there for nearly an hour, slowly nibbling what little they could. In the end all they could was stave off the hunger, just enough for them to be able to sleep soundly without their stomachs trying to eat themselves. Except Asia, who had been able to finish her whole plate.

Feeling the energy return to her legs, Rias stood from her seat. "Alright, I'm going to take a bath and then call it a night."

"Ah, a bath does sound lovely," Akeno sighed. "I think I'll join you, Rias."

Koneko simply raised her shaking hand as though to say 'take me with you' before gravity outdid her and slammed her limb back down to the table.

"Well… We are a little sweaty from today," mused Asia as she fanned the hem of her white shirt.

"A b-bath?!" Issei's attention was instantly gained at the instance Rias had spoken. Doubly and thrice so by each other girl adding their say. An opening! And by the great overlords of debauchery he was going to take it! "That… sounds like a great idea. Mind if I join you?"

Though he had asked with as much casualness as possible, his inner self was squealing like a little girl for this plan of his to work.

Rias even took a moment to think it over. A sign of good fortune! "I suppose. I don't see why not. What do you think, Akeno?"

"Sure, sure, I don't mind," Akeno waved her hand halfheartedly.

Issei was calmly sipping on the last of his tea. He was doing this to hide the triumphant smirk. It was a miracle of itself that he had the ability to contain any energy for that matter. His insides were parading, almost going ballistic with the fireworks going off.

Rias turned to Asia and asked the same question. The beautiful former nun responded while fiddling with her fingers and turning red, "I-If it's Ise… I… I would like that very much…"

This time, he couldn't hold back the smile. He was even shedding tears. Oh Asia, if she didn't have Issei's heart before she surely did now.

Last but not least, Rias asked Koneko.

The white-haired loli slammed both palms onto the table surface. With visibly shaking limbs and beads of sweat on her brow, she found the strength to lift herself out of her food. Splotches of gravy and bits of vegetables stuck to her cheeks. It mattered little to her as her golden eyes locked head-on with Issei's mundane brown.

"…Drop… dead," was her answer before losing consciousness from the strain.

"Well… there you have it," shrugged Rias. "Sorry Ise. We'll leave it to you to clean up tonight. I'll make a schedule for duties tomorrow. Have a good night."

Rias left the dining area with Akeno shortly behind her… who was dragging the unconscious Koneko away. Asia looked between the girls and Issei with a conflicted look. But in the end the blonde bowed in apology and followed after the girls.

At dawn, when the group was better recovered after a bath and good night's rest, they strolled in together to the kitchens to prepare breakfast. However, come to their surprise when they find Issei still sitting at the dining table… in the same spot and position as he had been last night. There were also the remains of last night's dinner sitting there, long gone cold.

On Issei's face was nothing but a look of utter horror. A face so frozen and pale they would have mistaken him as a marble statue.

But Rias sighed instead. This was not the first time Issei had such a reaction to Koneko, nor will this be the last.

*Scene*

She stood in front of his door in the late hours. The thoughts of the past few days kept her awake despite how tired her body was. She felt she was becoming a burden for them all with this; unable to make any progress as her fatigue got in the way of her training. She made too many mistakes than what she was supposed to. Though he was always kind and patient, Issei had no better way of solving the matter that plagued her any more than she did.

Only two days and she was at her limit. With no further idea on what to do, she went directly to the source.

But when she stood in front of his room, hand raised to knock, her hand began to shake. The tears threatened to fall once more as the memory of that night came back… Of the night he had done those things with Rias.

Akeno had told her what it meant, and for once the Queen had a heavy heart when she had to tell Asia of all the wonders of lovemaking… and that neither Issei nor Rias performed the sacred act out of love for another.

If such an act was sacred, even amongst the Devils, then why had Issei and Rias done it? What was the purpose of it if it wasn't out of love?

There was also the pang in her chest that wasn't there before. A feeling of bitter pain that hurt more than any wound could bring. It hurt more than the vicious words the Church had thrown at her before forcing her to leave. It hurt more than when she saw Issei, her savior so strong he had risked his life to save a complete stranger like her… just… fall on his knees and cry at the loss of Ms. Nakashima.

This pain was subtle, quiet compared to all the other harsh things she had endured. Yet, like a poison, it slowly ate away at her being until it could no longer be ignored. It was growing, festering, molding within her insides to the point where it was hindering herself from being aware of the real world.

Two days… and she couldn't take it anymore. The worst part, she didn't know the reason why.

No, that was a lie. She knew the reason why. But she didn't want it to be. Yet at the same time she so greatly desired it she was filled with enough hope to lull the pain. However, this secondary feeling made her conflicted with herself. She wanted it, yet she didn't. She became afraid; afraid that he will say no and the pain would be all the greater.

But if he were to say yes…

"Asia? What's wrong?"

Green eyes met brown. Issei had opened the door, his clueless expression that made up who he really was plastered on his face. But it was a welcoming expression; far more… homely than the brooding one he had within the past week. This was the look Asia had learned that made up who was Issei Hyoudou. This is the look he made whenever she did something right to cheer him up; whether it be making him a delicious breakfast to him 'accidentally' stumbling in on her bathing or dressing.

Asia grew up in the Church, not a barn. She may be clueless about most indecent things but even she was taught about the taboos of nudity.

…Unfortunately whoever was in charge of the choir and altar boys didn't seem to get the memo. Those boys were actually encouraged to walk naked in their dormitories by the head priests. Asia never could fathom why.

"I-Ise… Can… Can I come in…?" she asked in such a low tone even she had difficulty hearing herself.

He didn't ask a question. He simply opened the door wider and stepped aside for her to walk past him. As she had thought, the room was nicely decorated just like hers, but it lacked some of the things that made up Issei's. There was no laundry thrown into the corner for her to carry out, a bookshelf but not one filled to the brim with— what were they called?— manga, and most importantly…

…His scent wasn't present.

The lack of Issei's personal scent struck her as though she walked into a wall.

"Is there… something you want to talk about, Asia?" Issei took a seat at the bedside as he watched her look around. His brows were scrunched up not in annoyance or confliction, but of honest-to-God's concern. He deeply worried for her and let it show openly.

The pain in her chest nulled just a tad bit. She took her seat beside him and stared into the hands resting on her lap. Her thoughts cycled, flowing through her mind like a storm without control. Ideas were tossed about, yet could not be constructed into words to be voiced.

Her only solution was to take the hand resting on the parallel lap. Her small nimble fingers slid between his knuckles.

And it felt… so _right_.

The pain did not quell. Though there was a feeling of ease at his touch, the pain was only brushed aside and turned into something else.

"Asia…?" Issei knew just as much on how to start the conversation as she did.

"…Can I stay with you tonight, Ise?"

He wanted to say something, to ask her what was wrong. And he would have listened to whatever she had to say even if he couldn't understand it. Issei was such a person. He didn't understand the complications of deep intentions hidden behind actions. Issei was a straightforward person who put all his emotions into his actions. So whenever Asia talked about the Church, he only understood what he believed was 'right' and 'wrong'.

And he believed whatever hurt her was wrong. He was just such a person.

So she decided to not tell him what was wrong. Because, she feared, what if he came to the conclusion that he was the one hurting her? How would he react to that? Would he pit himself into a deeper depression and distance himself from her?

Asia didn't think her heart could take something like that.

They lied in bed that night. But tonight was different. Within the past week whenever they shared the bed there was always this wall of space neither of them dared to cross. Asia would sleep on her side and Issei… would lie awake in thought on his. Though Issei would still be doing the same thing, Asia did something a little different.

She crossed over that wall, one arm around his chest, one leg over his, and her head resting against his shoulder. Seduction was the last thing Asia knew how to do, and this was something that had not an ounce of lust in her actions. She desired to be close to him. To embrace him with all her might as though the smallest chance would have him disappear.

Issei had tensed and sputtered incoherent ramblings like he normally did whenever Akeno teased him. But after a moment, probably when he realized she wasn't willing to move away, his body slowly began to relax.

He adjusted himself to become more comfortable and wrapped an arm around her back.

And suddenly, that incomprehensible pain swelling in her chest went away. She fell asleep like that; a smile and a single tear of joy.

With a refreshed mind and spirit, she put her all into training. And during magic lessons with Akeno, she talked to the Queen about her most recent progress with Issei. Akeno gave a few 'pointers'— indecent things that made Asia blush uncontrollably each time… but she would never deny that such ideas were… nice.

As the nights moved on and she continued to sleep with Issei, her mood brightened day by day. She came to realize something. She couldn't part away from Issei. Not because he was the one who saved her, but as the kind-hearted young man who welcomed her into his home. Who gave her strength and encouragement to keep living despite being a Devil. To never give up her beliefs. To never change no matter what.

On the seventh night, as she lay on top of him like the previous nights, with her fingers curled around his, she said something even she was surprised to announce. They were so natural they could not have come from the mind. Instead, it came directly from her heart.

"Ise, I love you."

He was startled, almost as much as she was.

She didn't expect him to respond. Rather, she wouldn't let him. "Can… Can I stay with you… always?"

He embraced her a little tighter. "I-If you're okay with it being me… Then yes. You'll always be welcomed, Asia."

"…Promise we'll be together forever?"

"Of course. I'll never abandon you Asia."

The pain didn't just go away this time. It was replaced with something… warm. Something she had never felt before. It was a radiance more brilliant than the praises and blessing received as the former Holy Maiden. This was… the loving embrace she never experienced.

"C-Can… Can you promise one more thing…?" she selfishly asked and buried her face into his shirt. She couldn't dare look into his eyes or lose the courage to continue on.

"O-Of course!" he declared while squeezing her hand firmly.

For a moment she was quiet, unable to voice the thoughts running through her head like before. But after focusing on Issei's embrace, she found the strength to proceed. "I-If I do well in the Game… W-W-Will y-you… m… m… m-m-m-m-m-makelovetome?!"

He was rendered speechless. And there was some blood dripping down his nose. Issei only got like this whenever he was in a massive conflict with himself. Like when she dressed in the nude with only the apron to cover her modesty. It was only until recently did she find out why he reacted such a way. He wanted to do _those things_ to her then and there, but was using all of his strength to hold himself back. Such as right now.

It warmed her heart to no end. A great wave of relief washed over her that Issei wanted to perform such a sacred act of love with her, despite being unable to understand why he was holding himself back. It meant he loved her dearly.

…However, a bitterness in her heart, as small as a needle yet noticeably sharp and prickling, made her question why Rias was the one he chose first and not her.

"If it's Ise… I… don't mind… being… my f-first…" she pressed on, digging her face deeper into his shirt and using her free hand to clutch tightly against the fabric. "Because… I love Ise…"

"…Asia," Issei began to rub the small of her back. "Something like that isn't something you should do immediately. There's this… well… process of doing things. Why don't we start off with a… d-date?"

A voice in the back of her head wanted to argue he had done those things with Rias. But those were such cruel words that threatened to make her cry. She could never say such things to the one she loved and the King who granted her this blissful life. She knew his words were filled with nothing but concern for her. Every word out of his mouth was honest. He wanted to do things right, and that she most graciously accepted with a nod.

But she didn't know that he was holding back a dam of tears. It wasn't in his nature to take advantage of someone as pure as Asia… no matter how many times he may have fantasized about this moment since he hit puberty.

"Promise…?" Asia's voice was lowered as she basked in his embrace, letting slumber claim her.

"Yeah," Issei let his head rest against the pillow. "I'll take you wherever you want, Asia."

That night would be the first Hyoudou Issei would sleep peacefully in a long time.

*Scene*

Only an hour before the game started.

Rias sat at her desk in the Occult Research room with Akeno serving her and the two of her Pieces some tea and snacks. It did little to calm their nerves. It also didn't help that Koneko was devouring cookies faster than a buzz saw cut through wood or how Kiba kept pacing and checking his equipment. They had trained hard for this event and had grown exponentially enough to be confident in the battle. However, this particular Rating Game was going to be aired all across the Underworld.

Sona had also come by earlier with additional news. Oberon of the Fae, Odin of the Norse, and Hades of Olympus were VIP attendees who had heard the younger sister of the current Lucifer was going to debut in an unofficial Rating Game. Sona said there was more to it, but decided to leave the details as to why they were really present for after the game. Though, the strong distaste of the mention of King Oberon wasn't missed. Rias and Akeno didn't know what to make of it.

She wished them all luck and asked to give her best wishes to _Hyoudou. _There was so much venom in his name it was evident Issei had done something to receive Sona's ire. The last time this happened was when he presented himself as the Red Blur on live television. Rias couldn't think of any reason why she was upset with him this time.

With half an hour remaining, Issei and Asia finally showed up to the clubroom. Asia was dressed in her old nun dress with a white veil. Issei had a reinforced jacket most military personnel or mercenaries would wear. Under that was the armor he wore with leather gloves and boots.

They both arrived holding hands. And not in the same manner Rias had caught them before whenever they went shopping, like how an older brother would escort his younger sister. Their fingers were knitted between another's and Asia stood much closer to him than the norm.

Rias said nothing and only gave them a warm welcome. They looked happy together and thought it wasn't her place to speak up.

…It struck her that she shouldn't have to say anything to begin with. If Issei and Asia were to become a 'thing', then what did Rias care? So long as the two could continue contributing their part as Devils they were free to do whatever they wanted with another. So then, why should Rias be having these thoughts about separating her Pawn and Bishop?

She shouldn't let such thoughts bother her and decided to go back to focusing on the strategy for the game.

That is… until something else distracted her once more. As soon as Issei took his usual spot on the couch, Koneko— of all people!— stood up from her spot across of him, paced around the table, and plopped down right on top of his lap. She resumed munching on her sweets as though she had not done anything out of the norm.

Asia pouted but instead of faltering chose to move in closer to Issei until their shoulders rubbed. She blushed at the touch but refused to move away.

Rias opened her mouth but found no words could be made.

It didn't end there. Being left out of the group, Akeno placed her tray down on the counter, walked across the room, and slid her arms over his shoulders to press herself against the back of his head. Issei squawked at the feeling of her breasts cushioning his head. The Queen merely giggled— _giggled!— _and squeezed a little harder.

Jealousy flashed through Koneko's eyes. Irritated Akeno was winning his favor with her bountiful breasts, the loli girl had little else to offer. She did the next best thing though. While still on his lap, Koneko leaned back until her head was tucked right under his chin and began to nuzzle. She even wrapped one of his arms around her waist.

At this point, Asia was on the verge of crying. Her cheeks puffed as she was now on the losing side of this attention-seeking battle.

As for Issei, the center of attention, he was rendered speechless. Rather, his soul was leaking from his mouth in a small wisp. This would be the first time he's had such care, especially from three beauties. Unprepared for the extremities of the euphoria, his wellbeing couldn't take it. His heart gave out some few minutes ago from the excitement.

Rias looked over to Yuuto and gestured with a silent question. The Knight, watching the same scene she was, could only shrug with a just as perplexed smile.

"…We all went to the same training camp, right?" Rias eventually asked aloud.

She was more so asking herself at what point in time did… _this _start to happen. Asia's one thing, but to have Koneko _and _Akeno all over him as well?

"Ara, ara," Akeno turned her head to peer at her King, "did Buchou not have a bonding moment with Ise-kun? Or are you jealous that we're stealing your precious Pawn from you? Don't worry, you can have him back. I'm just gaining strength for the game from him."

Rias watched as Asia caught Issei's wisp of a soul and push it back inside his mouth. Honestly, it was more like they were draining him of all his strength by the looks of things.

She also refused to answer her Queen's first question. Because, _no, _she didn't have any private moments with Issei outside of training. As she thought about it, Issei didn't really approach her on their spare time.

She wondered if it was because of… that night. Because of the circumstances and her own foolishness, it was anything but magical. To this day she had difficulty looking at her Pawn in the eye, and the same thing could be said for him.

Any further thoughts were put on hold when a summoning circle began to appear. Rias recognized it as the seal of the Gremory with it being marked specifically for Grayfia's use. It was almost time for the match to start and as Grayfia was playing moderator she was to tell them the rules and conditions for victory.

Rias sat up. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about personal drama. She was a King and needed to act like one.

*Scene*

It was time. They gathered around the coffee table with a blueprint of the school spread out. Raizer had chosen an exact replica of the school to be their battlefield. It was his personal way of saying even with _another _advantage he would still be victorious. Whatever. Rias would have taken any field and still turn the tides in her favor. He was only making it that much easier for her.

"The Occult Research Club is our base," she began. "If any of Raizer's Pawns make it into this room they can use Promotion to raise their status as other Pieces. If this happens then we will be at a large disadvantage. Issei, Asia, and I will stay here to guard it. Akeno, I will need you to roam around the perimeter and place traps. Specifically within the trees lining the edge of the academy and in the direct pathway leading to the gymnasium. Kiba, Koneko, I'll need you both to play vanguard. See if you can claim the gymnasium. It's going to be the middle-ground for this match and can tip the scales in our favor. From there we can form a plan on how to take over the Student Council office, Raizer's base. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Buchou!" cheered everyone.

…Except Issei, who had his eyes glued to the map and eyes sharply tracing over every detail.

"Is there something wrong, Ise?" Rias asked.

His brows furrowed as he crossed his arms. "I don't agree with this strategy at all, Master. You're correct by saying claiming the gym will grant us more territory, but it'll only be as breathing space and won't offer much of anything else; perhaps some cover if things get out of control but that's a double-edge at the same time. We can easily be pinned down there as well."

He leaned forward and traced a finger across the neighboring forest. "The enemy will be using these trees as cover as they send a small group our way to infiltrate the clubroom. It's good to place traps there, but they might have another Bishop who could detect Akeno-oneesama's spells. And while she's away setting traps elsewhere, they could easily slip through."

She didn't like having her strategy unraveled like this, but Issei was the most experienced of the group who had seen and stepped in live battles. His opinion was invaluable. "Then what do you propose?"

"…Send Kiba instead into the forest while keeping Akeno-oneesama in reserve. Have her place traps all around the old school building to avoid potential infiltration, rather more so to lure them to the building like moths to a flame. So while Raizer's group travels through the forest, Kiba will remove them." A wicked smile crossed his face. "If it's in a forest, I know for sure Kiba is the man for this job."

Eyes went towards the aforementioned Knight. Though he kept smiling, the hand gripping the hilt of his sword was shaking. It wasn't very assuring.

Issei then pointed at the gymnasium. "It's obvious this will be a key-point in the battle. If what you said about Raizer was true in the debriefing, he will come to the same conclusion as us. He will be trying to gain it. However, unlike us, he has an advantage in numbers and the space will be that much more beneficial to him than it could ever be for us. He also has the numbers to throw at us until he does claim it if you had sent Kiba and Koneko. Eventually they both would have fallen. We can't afford to lose a single Piece.

"Have Koneko go to the gym alone. But don't have it for her to take it by herself. Have her draw as much attention as possible. No doubt he will be sending another small squad to take it. But make sure she makes as much noise to have reinforcements arrive. And when the maximum number of Pieces arrives or if Koneko is overwhelmed and has to retreat…

"…Destroy the gymnasium and them in it."

"Ah~" Akeno laughed. "So we even the field with no territorial advantage to any party while at the same time removing a large chunk of Raizer-sama's forces? My, my, Ise-kun, how deliciously vicious of you to come up with a strategy."

He no doubt heard her, but much like her other teases (or like how she huskily whispered into his ear), he chose to ignore it for the sake of his sanity. His eyes were still glued to the map. "From there we will have to play it by ear. We don't know how the enemy will react from there. The most important part is to watch over everyone's back. Akeno should watch over Koneko from a distance once the traps are set and I will keep an eye on Kiba.

"But… Master, there is a _simpler _strategy that won't cost us any casualties. If you will permit it, I can—"

"Denied," Rias immediately shot down the idea. "Rating Games are more than just one team winning or losing. There is a much more… political side to it. People are watching our match, Ise, even watching us strategize as we speak. This is an emulation of a battle where we can go all out without major repercussions. However, at the same time, we need to make a show of it.

"I know what you're thinking and I can't allow it. At least not right now. You'll have your moment, Ise. But for right now I need you to stay here with me and let everyone else do their job. A King is valued by their peerage as a whole. I need to show everyone the value of the servants of Rias Gremory."

Issei locked eyes with Rias, evaluating the worth of her words. Finding what he was searching for in her resolve, he nodded and stepped down.

"So there we have it," Rias began to hand out small gems that would work as transceiver devices to each of her Pieces. "Kiba, begin patrolling the forest. Akeno, lay traps within the hallways and building entrance as well as a detection barrier around the general perimeter. Koneko, as soon as Akeno is finished with her task I will have you make straight for the gymnasium. Keep an ear open for communications and don't do anything reckless. Our enemy is an experienced Devil, but he underestimates us. Let's show him what we're really made of."

"Yes, Buchou!" they cheered and split up.

The room was left with Asia on one couch, Issei on the other, and Rias leaning against her desk. The King examined her Pawn closely. Issei had the look of a battle-veteran who was constantly tense, ready to react at any moment. He sat straight, eyes still tracing over the school layout with an unsatisfied look on his face.

His old cheerful self wasn't present. Rias realized it was the same eyes he had on the first night she introduced herself to him.

It made her question who the real Issei was. Was it the adorable and cute Pawn who dreamed of having a harem? Or was it the hardened Predator who saw everyone and everything as a threat? She honestly didn't know.

"Issei, I need you to do something for me," she said as she took a seat beside him.

"Yes, what can I do for you, Master?" he asked as his eyes moved from the map directly towards hers. Any form of timidity from before was gone. His tone and posture spoke of nothing but professionalism. He was even calling her 'Master' instead of 'Buchou'.

Agitated at his sudden mood change, she tugged on the collar of his jacket and pulled his head into her lap. He didn't try to fight it but did blink a few times in confusion. "B-Buchou?"

She smiled. There was his old self, the Issei she knew and loved.

With tender care, she began to stroke her fingers through his hair. "I need you to relax. You're making me nervous. So do me a favor and stay like this with me for a while."

His only response was to bask in the softness of her thighs while her fingers massaged his scalp. His eyes glazed in euphoric bliss while his mouth hung open in his large grin. He could die happily at this moment.

Meanwhile, Asia was pouting as she watched the exchange between Issei and their King. She wished Issei would do those things with her sometimes…

Rias' stroking stopped when the gem in her ear began to buzz. She placed a hand towards her ear and began to listen. "Kiba? How many? …Very well. Engage when you feel ready."

*Scene*

Marion, Bürent, and Shuriya traveled through the forest as soon as their intel told them the Gremory peerage had split in half. Xuelan and a few Pawns went with her to take the gymnasium in order to lure out a few of the separated Pieces. Which meant while a battle was about to erupt, these three would sneak around through the trees and make their way to the enemy's base.

All three were Pawns. Even if they could break through the building they could use Promotion to ascend into Queens. They knew they wouldn't be much of a match against Rias Gremory, but they could at least take out a few of her Pieces instead. In best case, they could cripple the enemy King and initiate a second strike by the remaining of Raizer's Pieces. They knew they were nothing more than cannon fodder, but it was a worthy sacrifice if it meant weakening the enemy enough to lower casualties and achieve an easy victory.

They laughed when Shuriya hadn't spotted any detection spells. They knew the Gremory peerage was completely inexperienced to these games, but they didn't think they were _that _ignorant to basic strategies. It was almost common sense to keep an eye on openings.

Unfortunately, they didn't see the blonde handsome Devil that was running parallel with them. Kiba Yuuto's footsteps were absolutely silent. Not a branch cracked nor did a leaf crumble as he ran over them. He kept at their pace, sped up when they did and slowed down when they chatted or examined their surroundings. Though he was visible in plain sight, his presence was all but nonexistent. He was nothing but a phantom. They could look in his general direction and not be able to identify him.

He watched their movements, analyzing their patterns and the amount of space each member had. Their formation was good with the idea of a potential ambush thought in their structure.

But there was no hope for them if they couldn't see him. When he found an opening, he changed footing and charged at them with his sword ready to be drawn for the critical strike. He was right in front of them and they still didn't see him.

He zipped right by the first two with his sword swinging to pierce the one in the back of the group. And still they hadn't spotted him.

It wasn't magic. It was a result of that _heinous _hell called 'training'.

_Yuuto was panting as he ducked behind a tree. He commanded his body to be still as he controlled his breathing to be as silent as possible. Since coming to this camp, he had learned to move without making a single sound. The background noise of birds chirping and wind rustling the leaves was louder than his constant sprinting. And he needed to be. He had to move about without leaving a trace, to not leave any tracks behind him, to erase his entire presence._

_His senses also grew significantly. His eyes could pick up flickers of movement among the trees that wasn't caused by the wind or forest creatures. He could hear the unnatural disturbances all around him. He could feel the ground shift under him when a presence was drawing nearer._

_But for all the progress he's made thus far, it all seemed pointless. Whenever he thought he was far away, that he had escaped the clutches of his enemy, that monster always stepped its game up. Though he could sprint at his top speed longer than before, had long increased his swiftness better than any training from his former master put him through, it still wasn't enough._

_The monster would always find him. And when it gave chase, it was always faster._

_Always._

_**Kiba**__._

_Yuuto's body tensed as he heard that accursed voice coming from all directions. His mind went on full alert as he cursed at himself. He thought he had a moment to relax. No, it's never like that. The monster always struck whenever he was at his weakest, when he had his guard down for but a second, or had failed to notice the impending attack soon enough._

_Instantly, he went through his mental check-list, taking note and memorizing every microscopic detail of his surroundings. He checked them twice for any differences within the last split second. He checked a third. A fourth. A fifth—_

_The leaf thirty-seven meters North-West from his position had swayed against the wind with two of them falling off the branch. But that did not mean the monster was coming from that direction._

_If he could see the leafs fall, despite how impossible the clue was to see within an entire vast forest, then it was nothing but a distraction from the monster's true agenda. It was meant for Yuuto to get his attention drawn towards that location while the beast struck when he least expected. At the same time, Yuuto couldn't ignore the clue as it indicated the abomination had indeed been at that spot. It was crafty and evolved according to his way of thinking. It might also be trying to trick him by staying in that same spot._

_An oxymoron. One might think the entire game was pointless._

_**Kiba!**_

_He saw just a flicker of red amongst a sea of green. Just a blink, fast and hidden well enough for him to doubt his own eyes. But after spending six days in this hell Yuuto wasn't going to give it a chance._

_He burst out of his hiding spot and moved in the opposite direction from where he believed he saw red. His steps made no sound as he moved through the forest, twisting and turning in an attempt to confuse the thing that might be on his trail._

_Despite how his mind was playing tricks on him, how his paranoia was getting the best of him, how there was no evidence to show that something was after him, Yuuto simply knew there was something after him._

_He was right when the beast of red was running parallel to him ten meters away. Green eyes locked on his. He was marked. Now that the beast saw him there was no way he could lose it._

_But that didn't stop him from trying. He braked and suddenly changed trajectory to run in the other direction. He took up to the trees, using the branches and sometimes rebounding off of trunks to change paths._

_**You filthy handsome!**_

_He could swear he felt the heated breath of the monster running down his neck. He didn't dare to look back to see if it was true. He simply kept running. His heart was pounding and his lungs were begging at him to stop and rest. But his body pushed on as adrenaline took over._

_**I am the spirit of vengeance. No more will my brothers cry from your presence. No more will you steal a girl away from them. No more will the maidens they've loved reject them because you've passed through!**_

_He broke through a clearing and found himself straight towards a running river. Without so much of a second thought, he dove straight in. Surely this would remove his scent and the river will travel him downstream. He swam to the bottom so to have the surface above cover him with its rapid streaming._

_But even down here, he could still hear its damnable voice as though it were right behind him._

_**I have heard my brothers' cries. I am their voice. I am their will. And we WILL HAVE OUR VENGEANCE!**_

_He kicked off the bottom before he heard the splash above. The monster had dived in after him. Had he moved after, he would have been done for. If he had not moved, the monster would have carved his body in half. Even with his swift reaction, a thick slash had cut into his back. But the pain didn't matter. Survival was far more important._

_Yuuto broke through the surface and swam to shore with all extreme. His body was aching but he forced himself upward. He had to keep moving._

_No sooner was he on his feet than the feeling of death wrap around his neck, suffocating him with its overwhelming presence. He drew his sword at last when running was no longer an option._

_The red-armored beast that was Hyoudou Issei had finally caught up to him and was going in for the kill. Now, Yuuto had to fight for his life. No longer to survive, but to prolong the inevitable death that he had experienced countless times in this camp._

_And after experiencing 'death', Yuuto would find himself waking up in the middle of the forest. The cycle would repeat itself until the three hours were up. This would carry on for nine dreadful days._

[Raizer Phenex. One Pawn. Retired.]

The girls stopped in their advancement at the sound of Grayfia's announcement. For a moment they pondered if Xuelan's team had gotten cocky and made a mistake.

But then they realized that one of them was missing. Bürent was nowhere to be seen.

She was just right behind them, just one step away at their pace. So how did they not notice she had simply vanished? There wasn't a trace of magic so they couldn't have triggered some trap. Surely the enemy couldn't have—

There was a streak of silver. Blood flew everywhere.

[Raizer Phenex. Two Pawns. Retired.]

Yuuto sighed as he swiped the blood off of his sword, Holy Erasure. With two fingers pressed against his ear, he spoke into the communicator, "Buchou, I've ridden of three Pawns. Shall I continue with patrol? Understood."

Sheathing his sword back into his holster, he moved away from the open space and back into the trees.

He did not make a sound as he simply vanished.

*Scene*

Koneko examined her enemy. The one in the far back was a Rook named… Xuelan, if she remembered correctly from the debriefing. She also recognized a pair of twins with matching chain saws and a staff-wielder who were all Pawns. Just as both Rias and Issei thought, Raizer had sent a considerable team to gain control over the gymnasium.

"That's it? It's just you?" the enemy Rook gave a troubled sigh. "Well I suppose this is the best they can throw at us with so few numbers."

Koneko shook her head as she adjusted the grip on her gauntlets. They weren't the black leather gloves she used to wear. Due to her most recent… exposure to her weaknesses in training, she had to reevaluate her fighting style. When given suggestions from Issei, Rias had provided the adequate equipment in short time. She was given gauntlets that prioritized the impact from her knuckles with brass plating and grieves to protect her shins as well as harden her kicks.

"…No, I will be enough."

The Rook of Gremory split her feet apart, tucked her arms close to her body, and stood at an angle to make herself as small of a target as possible.

It was a deviation of Issei's Defender stance. While she knew his version was far more efficient in terms of taking attacks head-on, its ultimate weakness was the lack of countering unless switching stances. It was why it was called Defender. It could only minimize damage, but to the best value at that. Koneko needed something that allowed her to both attack and defend, but she wasn't as skilled at switching stances like how Issei was between Assaulter and Defender.

Her personal version prioritized in defense, but it also allowed her to move onto the offensive when needed. It was heavily flawed as she only had Issei to test it against— not to mention its defensive parameters didn't stand a chance against Issei's wall that was the Defender. But this one was mobile, granted her offensive capabilities, and had been modified to work with her traditional style of fighting.

Now, even she knew suddenly having a new method of fighting couldn't turn the tides of an overwhelming battle like this one. She had four opponents, all of which were more experienced than she was. If she had back-up, like Yuuto assisting her, then their teamwork could have tipped the odds into her favor. But she was alone.

But not useless. There was a reason why Issei had recommended she go in alone.

He had faith in her.

"Huh? What's she doing?" one of the twins asked aloud.

Koneko had closed her eyes and began to focus. She took in a deep breath and gathered what chakra she could to flow through her core. She felt the mystics swirl around her, augmenting her capabilities higher than her already enhanced Rook endurance.

Ready, she hunched down low and _leapt _forward, breaking the ground under her in her discharge.

"_So Ise-kun," Akeno stood beside Koneko in an open field with the Eighth Predator standing close in front of them. "What sort of training exercise will we have today, hmm? This is the first you've had any of us in pairs."_

_Koneko simply nodded, agreeing in the curiosity of her Queen's words._

_Issei gave a heavy sigh as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm no good with things like 'tact'. Sona tells me this all the time. So I apologize in advance if I do or say anything to upset either of you."_

_Akeno's usual smile didn't falter. She seemed more interested now than before. Issei always had the most… intriguing of thoughts, especially when he put them into words. There was never a dull moment with this boy._

"_I know the two of you have been holding back during training."_

_This time, Akeno could only scrunch her face in confusion. Koneko had a similar expression, albeit not as openly visible. "I have no idea what you mean. I've been putting my all into growing stronger, and I'm sure Koneko-chan has been doing just the same. Maybe you're overestimating us? Not everyone is as strong as a mighty Predator," she cackled._

_Issei instead shook his head, "Then I don't know what's going on if you don't either. One of the… perks of being a Predator is a heightened instinct. An instinct so refined and sharp that I can tell how great of a threat the two of you are. I know the depths of your current potential and I can have a… taste of the potential you will reach at the end of the camp. So whenever we spar… I don't see hundred percent like I have with the others. It's like the both of you were holding back. A lot. Like you two had something that could hurt me more than your normal attempts."_

_Recognition flashed through Akeno at his explanation. The deep hatred she had kept under her maidenly façade had resurfaced. Koneko had the smallest twitch as her porcelain face had faltered. But, masterfully, the two girls had their masks back up before anyone could notice._

"…_So you do know what I'm talking about."_

_Everyone except a perceptively sharp Predator._

"_It's a… delicate matter, Ise-kun," Akeno said emotionlessly, rather in a bind between anger and sorrow._

_Issei scowled at this. "Is it so important that you're unwilling to use it for the sake of your master?"_

"…_Buchou understands," Koneko spoke up._

"…_And do you realize, that if I wasn't participating, and if you refused to go all out, then Rias would lose against Raizer?"_

_Neither of the girls said anything. Their silence was an answer of itself._

_Issei was not angered by this. Instead, his eyes shone with sympathy. He couldn't understand their background as he had no concrete facts, but he could relate with them in his own way. "I want to show you two something. Something that I kept from everyone for as long as possible. Not even Sona or any of my— any of the other Predators know about it."_

_With that, he began to take off his shoes and socks._

_Before any of the girls could question him, the space around Issei began to warp. His entire being was altered— no, more like a veil had been torn off to reveal what lay underneath._

_They had seen the small details here and there whenever he exerted a fragment of his power. But nothing at this level. Before them was Hyoudou Issei in all but name. His skin had turned red with layers of reptilian scales covering every ounce of flesh. His hands and feet had turned into claws with sharpened spikes protruding out of the knuckles, nails, ankles, and wrists. His Devil wings weren't immune to the transformation as they became sharper, jagged, protruding spikes at each tip, and dyed red. The only feature they had seen before were the green serpentine eyes and the razor sharp fangs._

_Last, there was the overwhelming presence he gave off. A heat unlike any other that made them take several steps back. Not a heat of the sun or radiance of holy light. But a flame without color, invisible yet all the more deadly. The trees and grass began to sway as the wind picked up, cycling around him as though drawn into his magnificence. His form and stature was that of the same of a human, and yet, it was as though he was taking spaced several hundred times his mass. A grand presence that required them to gain further distance else be crushed by this invisible weight._

"_This is what I've become after taking on Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon," his voice was filled to the brim with power. When he spoke, he was heard. The tempest did nothing to quiet him. "This is who I really am. A monster who walks disguised as a human. I've long accepted I will never be normal ever again. I can pretend to be human as much as I want, but in the end I will always know that it is all a lie."_

_With closed eyes and a small intake of air, the tempest died down. In a blink, Issei was back to his original self. Or rather, Akeno should correct herself, Issei was back to what people wanted him to think he was._

_It then struck her how big of a burden Issei carried on his shoulders. She always knew being a Predator had big responsibilities. He was to protect the world from threats that would endanger all life. But she never once thought about what sort of sacrifices he must have made, especially for a task that was forced upon him against his will. And yet, he accepted them._

_Indeed, Issei was a monster disguised as a human. More than how the three factions walked among the humans. More than how Akeno hid her Fallen and Koneko her Nekomata heritages. At least most other supernatural species resembled humanity. But Issei? He held a humanoid shape but was probably the furthest from human— further than any Devil for sure._

"…_Why?" Koneko asked. It was such a vague question as anyone would misinterpret her and answer however they perceived it._

_But after examining his kohai, Issei gave a weary sigh that further spoke of the burdens he carried. "There's more. Being shunned by everyone was never the problem. As a breast-loving panty-raiding super pervert I was already shunned by everyone. It was like this years before I became Eighth Predator!"_

…_He said it so proudly as though there was something regal about being the bane of women everywhere. Or at least, it would have appeared to be if he didn't let the single tear drop fall._

_He continued, "It's not what I've become that haunts me. It's a reminder that I am something I couldn't be… before… my parents died. And every time I use this power I'm reminded that I didn't have the power before. It's why I became a hero, y'know? But even then… every life I save always reminds me that I couldn't save the two that matter the most to me before._

"…_And every monster or villain I defeat… reminds me of the one I couldn't before._

"_Um… sorry," he shook his head and gave them a cheery smile. "I got lost in my thoughts. What I'm trying to tell you… I just wanted to know why you two were holding back. It's okay if you don't want to say anything. And if Buchou understands, then so will I. Just… if either of you need someone to talk to… I'll always be willing to listen. It's the least I can do for you two being there for me."_

_It was then after a moment of silence among the group, Akeno and Koneko decided to part to think things over. Training for them was put on hold… and poor Yuuto was forced to fill out both their times as well as his own._

_Any individual would have stated they were available for counseling. Some friends, Rias and Yuuto in particular, were patient enough to allow the girls to open up on their own. In his own way, Issei was just as patient. But if it was only about that, then there wouldn't have been a need to have displayed such power. He could have just approached them discreetly and asked what was bothering them._

_He wanted to show them how… similar they were. That he did understand what they were going through and that he shared the same troubles. And that should they ever decide to take up his offer, he will better comprehend them more than anyone else._

_It wasn't until the fifth day of training did Koneko approach him first. She was astonished that he truly did listen. There was no perverted remark, no eyeing her like candy, undressing her— this was a friend who gave all his attention to another. This was the gentle and true nature of Hyoudou Issei._

_Without that perverted nature, Koneko realized something. They were indeed similar in every way. Issei had been asked for attention and he put his all into giving it. Even if it went against his personal nature of a super pervert. It was because he was… lonely. As if this was the first time Issei ever had someone relying on him._

…_As if this was the first time a friend asked him for advice._

_Koneko wouldn't deny that she was scared. But not of Issei. She was scared about herself. She was scared to delve into her own powers and wind up just like her sister. Of course, Issei knew next to nothing about senjutsu. But it didn't mean he couldn't be supportive._

"_S-Scared of you…?" Issei couldn't believe it after hearing her story. "Koneko-chan, I'm the one who should be asking that. No, I'm not scared at all. Whatever you decide, I'll be there for you. If you lose your way when… absorbing the malevolence in the air— I think that's what you said— then I'll be there to bring you back. And if you choose to grow stronger by a different way, then I'll be there to help you look. You're my cute kohai. It's the job of the sempai to watch over their juniors!"_

_Koneko was the one who couldn't believe it. Even after hearing at how she could potentially lose her sanity and go on a blood-frenzy… Issei still supported her. There wasn't a trace of fear or wariness in his voice. And for the first time, someone didn't see a Nekoshou first and then Koneko after. Issei saw Koneko and only Koneko. Everything else was simply a part of her that fit in the background._

_From then on, she decided on what she needed to do._

"What in the—?!" the Pawn with the staff, Mira, was the first to take the full brunt of Koneko's attack. The white-haired girl had fired off at her like a bullet, almost disappearing from vision. Her instincts made her move before her mind could keep up; the staff rose in front of her in a standard guard.

It meant nothing when Koneko's fist plowed straight through the hardened wood and continued to fly into her abdomen. Mira spat from the blow and was thrown off her feet. She fumbled around on the floor until her body went limp.

But the attack only knocked her senseless, not unconscious. She did not disappear, which meant she was more than likely going to get back up and fight again.

There was a slight alteration with Koneko. Something nowhere near as significant of a change as the sort Issei had revealed to her, but still something that couldn't be ignored. A pair of cat ears stuck out of the top of her head with a long feline tail exerting itself out of her bloomers.

And if anyone were sensitive to the foundations of magical mysteries, they would find that Koneko's aura had shifted considerably. Energy cycled around her that did not originate from Devilry. It came from the collective will of the planet itself. The air, the ground, the building, the sky, the trees— everything that had a concept of 'existence' and 'purpose' was structurally bound within a system that made up the World. And that energy that bound everything together, that made everything function and applied the Laws in a grand nexus of workings, was cycling through Koneko's core.

The natural life force of the planet itself was coursing through her veins. With it, she had become far more powerful than she could ever hope to reach had she continued her normal training as a reincarnated Devil. Of course, such a power came at a price. And as she only had a very limited number of days to begin tampering with this ability, there was only so much she could do and for how long.

But she could worry about that later. Right now, she will have to put as much faith in Issei as he did with her. Just as he knew she was more than capable of succeeding in her mission, she knew he would come rushing for her the moment she went into deep waters. She will not slip into madness like her sister. Issei will make it so.

If Issei, who had surrendered his humanity for the power to defend those he loves, could accept Koneko for who and what she was, then Koneko could learn to live with herself. She could learn how to control this power without giving in to the malevolence of nature.

Issei did describe the murder intent of a Predator was irresistible, like it was a righteous rage that will never die down combined with the most primal of instincts to hunt in order to feed. It could never go away. And if he could suppress such a feeling, to continue to smile no matter how great of a burden it is on his mind, then Koneko can at least deal with some dark spirits.

The two remaining Pawns, Ile and Nel, were coming at her with their chainsaws raised. But, perhaps because of the brutal high-speed brawls she went through in training, she could easily choreograph their movements. Their steps were hard as they each carried a clunky and loud piece of metal. And their swings were so… predictable.

With her personal Defender stance, Koneko swerved around the first strike and delivered a quick jab to Nel's lower chin. Still in motion, she disarmed Ile with a flick of her wrist to the twin's funny-bone, followed by a swift knee to her solar plexus. Returning her attention back to Nel, Koneko brought her heel down on the girl's kneecap with an audible _snap _echoing through the building. She then finished her off both twins simultaneously with a powerful thrust of her palms to their faces.

The force of the attack made the wooden floors crumble as both girls were blown away, a trail of blood following each of them. The impact alone warranted a concussion. The damage was more than enough as they turned into motes of light and disappeared.

[Raizer Phenex. Two Pawns. Retired.]

The Rook, Xuelan, moved for her while she was still in the offensive stage of her stance. She brought her leg around in a vicious cyclone with enough force to crack Koneko's skull open. But Koneko immediately dropped to the floor to avoid the attack, spun on the palms of her hands, and swept the leg Xuelan was using to keep herself standing.

Completely caught off guard, the enemy Rook was stunned that her opponent had been able to react so quickly. From her research, Koneko was a hardcore brawler type with limited training in martial arts. Xuelan should have had the advantage in speed and flexibility— it was why Raizer had made her a Rook to cover her one weakness in durability.

Xuelan sprang back to her feet before Koneko could bring her heel down to deliver the final blow. But as Xuelan went for the opening she just exposed herself to, Koneko had been able to put up a solid defense by keeping her arms tucked to her body and deflecting blows with her elbows. Second, when each blow was deflected, she was able to provide a sturdy counter.

It wasn't just direct punches. Koneko was also kicking, always making sure to never go above the hip so to bring her feet together back into a defense. While Xuelan was moving on her toes to circle around Koneko, the Gremory Rook was keeping her at bay with her blocking and countering. For each strike Xuelan attempted, the white-haired girl was taking no damage and delivering her own precision shots to the miniscule openings even Xuelan didn't know existed.

Last, Koneko was fast. Impossibly fast. Rooks weren't supposed to be this agile. Whenever she struck, Xuelan never saw them coming. Had it not been for her durability as a Rook then she would have been taken out within the last few punches.

However, that durability of being a Rook was also a curse in itself. Koneko's strikes _hurt. _Xuelan was taking a beating without getting any results from her end. Every attack rattled her bones and made the world spin.

She fell to her knees panting. But she refused to give up like this.

To her shame, Koneko had stopped fighting. She placed two fingers to her ear, muttered something below her breath, and _ran away._

"H-Hey!" Xuelan spat the wad of blood escaping her lips to speak clearly. "Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with—"

It was then the world went white as the ceiling began to fall on top of her.

[Raizer Phenex. One Pawn. One Rook. Retired.]

*Scene*

"_Onee-sama, Raizer has released his Queen onto the field. She's heading towards Koneko's direction. Intercept her."_

Akeno smiled. Now there was something she thought she'd never see before, let alone experience. She, the Queen of the Gremory peerage, was taking orders from a _Pawn. _Granted, Issei was the most powerful Pawn in the entire history of Devil society, but those sticklers in the House of Lords would scoff at the idea.

Not that Akeno really cared about such things. She only followed Rias, and if the King wasn't saying anything against it so far then Akeno would follow Issei's orders to the letter. His plan was working so far, so why let it stop from there?

"Don't worry, Ise-kun," she said into the communicator. "I'm already moving into position. But might I recommend advancing while I keep her at bay? We can't win this if we stay on the defensive."

"…_Our King and I will work on a strategy for that. I'll keep you updated."_

Akeno flew down from the high heavens when she spotted Yubelluna flying from the main school building's rooftops towards the general direction of the gymnasium. It had only been a few seconds when Akeno had struck a high-level bolt of lightning down to destroy the building when she received word of the Bomb Queen's expected arrival. She curiously wondered how Issei was able to keep track of the enemy movements, but chalked it up as one a high probability of it being his perks as a Predator. He had been able to provide counter-measures with more than enough accuracy that it was borderline precognition— outright prophecy if she were to be a bit generous.

…It was always relieving to be reminded he was on their side.

True to the report, Yubelluna had raised her staff and channeled demonic energy through it. Red spheres of unstable energy formed, floating lazily around her. With a wave at her staff, she fired one of the orbs down below towards the unsuspecting Koneko who was retreating back towards the old school building.

Akeno had fired a small fray of lightning from her fingertips to intercept the projectile, combusting it prematurely and saving Akeno. The Bomb Queen had been surprised and looked up to see the Priestess of Thunder hovering above her.

She watched as Koneko continued to move before suddenly changing directions, no doubt receiving further instructions by either Rias or Issei. She started to move towards the main building.

Akeno said nothing to Yubelluna. Oh, she had _plenty _of witty remarks to give but decided the situation simply wouldn't do it justice. She kept her smile up as her hands began to weave intricate patterns of her demonic electricity.

Likewise, Yubelluna understood there was no point in talking. The grip on her staff tightened as more radiant orbs supported the few she had conjured for Koneko.

The air began to hum with two magic-users spreading their wills out towards another. Their auras collided, generating sparks of purple lightning from the sheer conflict of two willpowers.

Nothing changed, nothing triggered— there was no signal.

Arcs of lightning screamed through the air while wails of bombs fired like cannon fire. Barriers were erected to negate the more critical strikes while others had to be avoided with their wings. Shots were intercepted by another's, spells had gone astray in missing their targets and devastated the background, and every impact lit up the blank sky and shook the earth below.

Akeno flew around, making sure to have the height advantage so to keep Yubelluna's bombs away from the battle down below. Likewise, the Bomb Queen cycled around the Priestess of Thunder, making sure to keep moving so to never be struck by her lightning. Streaks of electricity tore through the ground, creating gashes along the dirt and concrete and lighting trees aflame. Orbs of combustible energy created craters, knocked walls, and sent debris flying like heated shrapnel.

Though the battle was taking place in the sky, they were altering the terrain down below by their might. And despite this, they were still holding back. Both women had teammates to keep track of. Akeno could spot Kiba and Koneko battling in the quad right before the entrance against the remainder of Raizer's peerage. She also saw Rias on the top of the building along with Asia…

…And Raizer at the opposite end. At the moment there was no fighting between them. They were merely in discussion.

For now.

Meanwhile, Issei was nowhere to be found. She had heard his and Rias' commands but couldn't make sense of the words simply because of the constant bombardment from Yubelluna. She wouldn't be surprise if she had ear damage. Still, she did ponder why Issei had let Rias and Asia alone with the enemy King. But she trusted him.

With focusing on the battle against the enemy Queen, Akeno put her all into the match. Yubelluna was a powerful magic-user. But compared to Akeno, she was hardly adequate. Yubelluna's proficiency was only in her offensive spells. While bombs hailed in dozens at a time enough to pin Akeno in place, she lacked everything in defense. Her barriers crumbled apart with each of Akeno's retaliations and her only strategy was to attack and keep on attacking.

However, unlike Yubelluna, Akeno had _adaptability. _Lightning was a magnificent element to work with. And simple. It traveled in a flash, far faster than most Devils could ever hope to dodge. And its trajectory was always unpredictable with the way it arced and curved like a jagged blade. Every time it struck was the force of raw power of both momentum and heat. It didn't just strike like a small automobile, but it also burnt the flesh.

Then, there were her defensive spells. Barriers of her willpower and demonic energy manifesting into impenetrable walls. Nothing save for Rias' Destruction could tear them down.

…And Issei, but that wasn't a fair comparison. So it didn't count.

To put it bluntly, Akeno had every advantage over the Bomb Queen. The only reason why the match lasted this long was because the enemy Queen was relentless on her assault and refused to _stay still to shoot the bitch down!_

It didn't take long for her to get her opening. Like a game of chess, she continued to advance forward, retreating into defense, and awaited for the moment when her opponent slipped up. It was a plan she was enacting with most of the steps already in motion. And when Yubelluna continue to play along unknowingly, Akeno struck with such ferocity the blank sky lit up like a second sun broke through the clouds.

Several watts of electricity coursed through Yubelluna as her fragile barrier shattered unexpectedly. Her body twitched with her body bent at an impossible angle. Her eyes rolled up as her mouth hung open in a silent scream, unable to find her voice. Clothes and flesh alike began to burn to a crisp.

…It was one of the hottest things Akeno had seen in her life. A heated flush swept through her face.

Cutting off her energy, she let the Bomb Queen descend from her height and pick up speed. She watched with excitement and then finally pleasure when she saw the charbroiled Queen crash on top of the rubble of the gymnasium. But she wasn't out of the match just yet. As a Queen, Yubelluna was more than durable enough to survive even that devastating attack. But it only meant Akeno had to deliver the final blow.

She pondered whether or not to fly down and deliver some final words. Salt on a fresh wound, and all that. The thought of seeing the disgusted look on the Bomb Queen's face made it all the more tempting.

Something buzzed in her ear. The communicator. She heard Issei's voice and it sounded important. But she couldn't hear any of it. As she suspected, the battle had damaged her eardrums quite well.

A new series of radiant orbs began to fly towards Akeno from the gymnasium rubble. She only had a split second to put up a barrier before they all collided against the magic circle. The force made her arms shake and teeth grit. She expected Yubelluna wouldn't go down without a fight, but to still have this much demonic energy within her to put up such resistance?

Her eyes widened when the Bomb Queen flew back up to the skies to meet her. Worse, her wounds were healed and Akeno could sense her demonic energy had somehow replenished itself. She was back in her peak condition as if they hadn't had their little cat fight to near exhaustion.

A smirk plastered itself on Yubelluna's lips. One of those annoying smiles that knew about a secret but wasn't willing to share.

"To think that I would be pushed this hard by the Priestess of Thunder," the Bomb Queen gave a respectable nod. Akeno stilled her movements so to read her lips. "Unfortunately for you, I cannot dishonor my master with such a loss. You won't be able to stand against me that much longer. Once I'm done with you, I can fight in Raizer-sama's stead so he won't have to stain his hands in this… mess."

Akeno's eyes narrowed. Her ever immaculate smile dropped completely at the intentions lingering within that last word.

Yubelluna waved her staff. A small legion of orbs appeared around her. For as formidable and reliable her barriers were, Akeno knew her defense wouldn't protect her against a united assault like what Yubelluna was going to unleash.

At least… not without…

The Bomb Queen pointed her staff at the Priestess of Thunder. At her command, every magic orb fired like rockets, lighting the sky like a meteor shower.

Akeno raised her hand… and sighed.

"How annoying…" she muttered as she commanded that damnable, disgusting, slithering essence within her. And it stirred without resistance.

_On the eighth day, it was Issei who broke the wall between he and Akeno. They had kitchen duty and were busy preparing the meal for dinner. Always, whenever Issei was using one space, Akeno would make it so her attention was focused on the other end. It wasn't just when they were together like this. Whenever she felt his presence closing in, she would always move away in search of another task to perform. The only time they were ever together was during training, and she continued to keep as much distance as possible._

_But none of this was missed by one who had constant awareness like Predator Hyoudou. He knew she was doing this intently, and he didn't mind it at first. Ever since he talked to her and Koneko, she had been timid around him. No, he could trace her behavior all the way back to the incident with the Fourth. She was always there at his house to comfort him, but the usual warm she gave him during his first few weeks as a Devil was… masked, he would have to say._

_Only now was it obvious._

_When he went to use the sink, not particularly needing it but using it as an excuse to stand beside her, she quickly finished her task and moved on._

_Except she was halted when he tugged on the hem of her apron._

"_Ah…" Issei realized he had grabbed on to her. "I'm sorry Onee-sama. I didn't mean to…"_

_He said so, but his grip remained. It had no intentions of letting go anytime soon._

_Akeno tensed at the closeness. Her features didn't noticeably change, but her muscles coiled underneath ready to move in an instant. She put up her usual smile with a hand to her cheek and teased, "Ara ara, Ise-kun. If you want to pull my clothes off you'll have to wait until bath time. That is… if everyone agrees this time to let you in."_

_Normally, that little tact would have sent him spiraling into his own fantasies and then burning every brain cell to concoct a plan to see his desires come true. Akeno would slip away before he knew it._

_However, this wasn't one of those times. Though his eyes did brighten at the thought, his melancholy expression returned and his grip tightened._

_Slowly, her own smile began to fade as her worries increased._

"_Onee-sama… it hurts when you do this," he said before letting go._

_This time, her smile fell completely as her lips thinned out to a straight line. There were times when Akeno forgot that Issei was human— as human as possible anyways. He had the physique of a dragon, the raw destructive power of a Heavenly being, and the murderous presence of one rightfully titled 'Ultimate Killer'. He always did his best to remind everyone that he was as normal as everyone else. He laughed, he cried, he had his feelings constantly hurt, and he lusted after women probably more than any other male on the planet._

_Despite knowing this, Akeno still had an acknowledgment to always fear Issei. That he could kill her simply on a whim and there would be nothing she, or anyone else, could do about it. The training camp was evident of that. Even united the Gremory Peerage didn't stand a chance against him._

_And then to reveal what lay hidden under his skin… to reveal who and __**what**__ he had been hiding this entire time…_

_Perhaps under any other circumstances Akeno would have accepted and gone to him just like how Koneko had. However, given what had transpired during the encounter with the Fourth Predator, with that departing message to Raynare… Akeno always made sure to walk on her toes around him, so to speak._

_She now understood why Sona-kaichou was so paranoid about him in the beginning._

_But now, after seeing Issei's hurt face and saddened tone, Akeno was perplexed. It was in the nature that was her heart that told her to console him and warm his spirits like the sempai she was supposed to be. But at the same time, it was in her physical nature to avoid him— to simply walk out of the room right this instance to increase her survival probability._

_Unable to think of what to do, she simply stood there in silence._

"_I'm sorry that I scared you, Akeno-oneesama," Issei bowed his head. "And it's okay if you want to distant yourself from me. I understand. And I don't hate you for it. But, I want you to know that I will never do anything to harm you. You're my sempai— no, more than that, I think of you like my real onee-sama. And even if you don't want me around, I will always be there for you no matter what. That's all I want you to know…"_

_Without meeting her gaze, he went to the distant counter and started peeling potatoes. With a knife this time to draw out as much time as he could so to focus on his thoughts. Normally, he would make the skin dissolve instantaneously with his newfound magic. It spoke on how distressed he was about his words._

"…_Don't you… hate Fallen Angels, Issei-kun?" Akeno found herself asking as she continued to stand in the same spot. Her mind was drawing into a blank as she didn't know how to react._

_His hands stopped moving as he stared at the vegetable in his grip. With closed eyes, he put it down as well as the knife. "Fallen Angels… Yes, I can say for sure that I do hate them. I fell in love with Yuu— with Raynare even when I knew it was all fake. For a guy like me who never had a girl give him a moment of attention, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Yeah, the date was fake and she was lying through her teeth the whole time, but even then I had fun and was able to smile. I got to see what it was like to live a normal life._

"_I was hurt when she tried to kill me. I knew it was coming; I had sensed her killing intent since the moment she asked me out on that date. But even after knowing that, I was still hurt when she tried. I was more hurt that I was unable to convince her otherwise. It made me realize how much of a failure of a man I am. And to kill me because they were afraid of my Sacred Gear… they didn't know who I was as the Red Blur— as the Red Dragon Emperor, let alone as Eighth Predator. I was just some __**monkey**__ with an unknown weapon._

"_But what I hate the most about them is what they did to Asia. I will never forgive them for what they did to her. Just as I'll never forgive __**them**__ for what they did to Ayame. The Fallen at that church knew what they were doing and didn't care in the slightest. They tortured Asia, forced her Sacred Gear out of her, and killed her. And Raynare just laughed at that. She just… thought Asia was nothing. Didn't look a second time as soon as she stole Twilight Healing."_

_Akeno bowed her head. Issei was speaking from the heart. His hatred for them was absolute, unbending, and vengeful. She remembered the threat he made Raynare pass on. That should a single Fallen Angel enter his territory then he will enact the same level of torment he performed on Raynare._

_She came to a decision then. It would be for the best to not tell him about—_

"_But I will never hate you, Akeno-oneesama."_

_She blinked. His words… No! Her fear spiked as a wave of cold struck through her entire being. Somehow, someway, Issei __**knew**__._

"_I hate Fallen Angels, and I always will," he continued as he looked up, yet he never looked at her once. A somber look glazed his eyes as he peered into the distant. "But Onee-sama has not done anything that they have. Akeno-oneesama is nothing but a kind sempai. I do not see her as a Fallen Angel. For that matter, I don't see her as a Devil either. I see Onee-sama as my onee-sama and sempai. As… family. I could never hate her…"_

_He knew. He really did know about her. But the question was… for how long? And if he had hated all Fallen Angels as he had claimed, why then did he not strike her down? He had every right to be angry at the species for the atrocities they have committed against him. And yet, he was never once negative towards her. He still treated her the same._

_Such as now, as he openly cried without reservation._

…_Like a brother would for his sister._

_Oh, how wrong had she been about him. Yes, Issei had the power to kill her at any instance, but he would never do it. Never. She suddenly felt sick for having such thoughts before. Issei saw her as family and would have given up everything for her. It was shown as he was willing to give up his own happiness just for her selfish desires._

_Before she knew it, her arms were wrapping around his waist as she pressed herself against him. The timidity from before was washed away as she felt his warmth, of his welcoming presence._

"_Are you okay… with me being tainted with Fallen blood?" she asked to confirm these feelings of hers._

"_Onee-sama is Onee-sama," he reassured. "Nothing else matters to me."_

"…_Even if I'm not okay with it?" she asked as if trying to cling onto something that was about to escape her reach. "To have that man's blood coursing through me… Ise-kun, how do you do it? How can you be so strong?"_

_He closed his eyes again in thought. His hands reached for his waist as he gave a firm squeeze to her hands. His grip was reinforced, telling her he wouldn't let anything separate her. And his touch made the chills go away as though giving her the strength she coveted from him._

"_I have something I need to protect," he replied. "Something to strive for. Something for me to return to should I ever lose my way. Something to guide me if I go astray. Something who needs me as much as I need them._

"_That would be you, Onee-sama. You, Buchou, Asia, Koneko-chan, even that lousy blonde handsome. Ah, and Sona as well. I can't forget about her._

"_A family, Akeno-oneesama. After three years, I finally have one."_

It wasn't a magic circle that defended her from the onslaught. It was an erratic discharge; a net of white electricity flaying in every direction without control. From her fingertips they flared like maddened beasts, devouring the orbs that were wisps of flames compared to their light. There was no explosion from the impact. The demonic energy within each orb simply sizzled into nonexistence.

Yubelluna was rendered speechless.

"Allow me to _retort," _Akeno's smile was gone. Her eyes glared in bloody murder with enough hostility to make the enemy Queen flinch. The ever loving, ever cheerful, ever stoic Queen of Rias Gremory wasn't present. A wrathful goddess of the storm was her replacement.

As such, white lightning coursed around her, dancing around her being like an untamed monster barely being withheld by a chain. It arced throughout the area, tearing into their surroundings and scorching Yubelluna just for being within their proximity. She froze in fright at the idea should any of them _touch _her.

"I can't believe I've been pushed to do… _this,_" Akeno stole the enemy Queen's words from before. "But this is far more tolerable than what you said just now, _Bomb Queen. _Indeed, we are quite the dysfunctional group. We certainly are one giant… _mess. _But to hear it from another person's mouth?"

Her smile returned. Rather, _a _smile grew on her face. It was large, twisted, contorted and without any of the charm she had for both friends and enemies.

This was a smile she gave to someone she loathed with all her being.

"…Just die."

Yubelluna's eyes widened as she put up a defense. It didn't matter. It wasn't a streak of lightning like before that struck her. It was an incandescent ray of light larger than her entire body that _obliterated _her. Her barrier might as well have been made out of air. There was no pain. There wasn't even a chance to scream. The white light enveloped her and she was simply gone.

[Raizer Phenex. Queen. Retired.]

"…Oh dear," Akeno's womanly façade came back as she put a dainty hand to her temple. The world was starting to spin as she was getting woozy from the severe depletion of energy. "I might have overdone it."

*Scene*

Everything was going according to plan. Rias had known Raizer would try to send her a message requesting a private duel against her. Issei had been against it, but understood the importance of confronting Raizer herself and only gave her some precautionary advice before staying silent. She gave him the duty to watch over the clubroom while relaying orders to her other Pieces while she left with Asia following close behind.

With Koneko and Kiba keeping most of the attention away, they were able to sneak by unnoticed and make their way into the main building. Raizer wasn't found within the Student Council office but had, indeed, been awaiting for them on the rooftop as he had mentioned in the message.

He was calm, collected, and didn't bat an eyelash at the sight of Asia behind Rias. Rather, he encouraged the support and offered to wait for any other members of her peerage to arrive. Such as, in his words, 'that lowly mud-man of a Pawn'.

Rias scowled but didn't let her anger get the best of her. "My adorable Pawn would be too much for you to handle at the moment, Raizer. But you'll get your chance with him. I promised I would let him have his moment."

Raizer instead shook his head with a snicker, "There you go again claiming some lowborn _human _can stand up to a High-Class Devil like myself. Nonetheless, I look forward to this opportunity. I need to remind him of what happens when filth touches what rightfully belongs to me. Here, in front of everyone watching back in the Underworld, I will make it a lesson for all Low-Class and reincarnated Devils what happens when they try to mess with their superiors!"

"…Are you really that low to have to be so… intimidated by my Pawn?" Rias asked with a hint of pity in her tone. "Raizer, I knew you were scum but I didn't think you were a thug for trying to pick a fight that much lower than you on the social scale."

The smirk washed off of Raizer's face. "It's not just me that has been insulted by this lowborn. I, who carries the name of Phenex, cannot tolerate what he has done to our name! Nor you, for that matter. Do you think I've forgotten? No, my _lovely Rias, _I will remind you of the shame you've brought on my House… as well as that of the Gremory."

All manner of humor was gone within Rias. Her fists clenched.

Fire began to sprout from Raizer's back as his demonic energy was released. Even from the great distance Rias could feel it want to melt her skin. "Don't worry. I'll not mar your beautiful face. But I will make it so you beg for me for forgiveness. I will remind you of the _embarrassment _you instilled within our society and make you repent."

Raizer raised an open palm towards her direction. A Jetstream of fire launched forward at his command.

Rias raised her hands and formulated a barrier with her demonic energy. But she found that she was not alone in supporting her defense. A second layer overlapped hers, reshaping it not in a magic circle but in an invisible layer of energy that curved like a large dome.

Asia had her hands raised as well with her eyes focused on the barrier she had just masked over Rias'.

"_Okay, Asia! I've thought it over last night and finally came up with a good training exercise for you!" Issei spoke aloud as he had a few baskets of potatoes behind him._

_Start of the day, it was Asia's turn with Issei while everyone else was 'warming up' with their own thing. They had learned well since yesterday. Unfortunately, he had also driven a great sense of fear into each and every one of them. Because of this, they weren't the least bit regretful about letting Asia have the first session. In fact, they looked greatly relieved as if a ticking time bomb didn't go off as predicted._

_At the moment, Asia and Issei stood in one of the open fields far away from the manor, surrounded by a plethora of trees. The terrain was uneven and the morning dew had made the ground slippery. It was perfect for what Issei had in mind for Asia._

_Asia raised her hand akin to a school girl during a lecture, "Um… Ise? What do you mean 'thought it over last night'? Weren't you… because of Koneko-chan…?"_

"_I have no idea what you're talking about," was his answer with such a large grin… and beads of sweat falling down. His eyes were also distant and sad. "I'm not hurt at all that I couldn't enjoy a mixed bath with Buchou, Oneesama, Asia, and Koneko-chan. I'm not at all depressed about not having Buchou or Oneesama wash my back with their oppai. Not at all. I'm not… _sniff_… sad…"_

_He said so, yet he was hunched over on all fours while crying a river._

_Meanwhile, Asia frowned as she patted her chest. It was always about breasts when it came to Issei. And big ones, apparently. Issei's fascination with big breasts was so great that he didn't bother to look at Asia the same way he did with Rias. He didn't even try to tease her the same way he did with Akeno (although the Queen always won in their word games)._

_And then there was the instance of that late night between Issei and Rias. Asia still didn't know what that was about. Perhaps she should ask Akeno…? Surely the Queen would know as she was Rias' right hand._

"_Right!" Issei was back on his feet before she knew it. "So, Asia, your role is the medic. You are to heal everyone while they fight on. Do you know the reason why I went for you first yesterday?"_

_Asia merely shook her head. She knew absolutely nothing about battle tactics. The only fight she's ever been in was against the bed sheets when she first learned how to do laundry. Sadly, the sheets won._

"_Because if I take out the medic, then there is no one left to heal everyone else," Issei lectured. "If there is no one to heal them, then they will be that much easier to take out. But if the medic were to stay throughout the entire match, then it will be that much harder to remove any opposing targets. For example, I break someone's leg. You, the medic, heals him. That person can stand up again and fight on. But if I remove you first, __**then**__ break his leg, there is no way he can get back up. Do you understand now?"_

_She nodded. She understood his reasoning, but didn't understand how she was to overcome this._

_It was strange… but for some reason the image of Kiba-kun appeared in her mind at the 'he' in his example._

"_Therefore, the medic __**must**__ survive at all costs! You are just as important to us as is the King, Asia! Without you, all of us will succumb to the wounds we will receive in battle. And believe me, fighting on and on with even a few scratches and bruises is tiring. So for the entire week that we're here, I'm going to work with you to improve your defensive parameters. Are you ready?"_

_With firm determination, and an adorable look of 'intense' focus at that, Asia nodded while clutching her hands close to her chest._

_**Fwoom**__._

_Asia blinked. She wasn't sure but she could have sworn Issei had thrown one of those potatoes at her. And that it missed her by inches—_

_**Sp-Clack!**_

_She blinked again and decided to investigate what that horrendous noise was. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was, indeed, a potato that had gone past her. And that it had made contact with one of the trees a few meters away…_

…_And that the force of the potato not only made it explode on impact, but took out a small chunk of the wood._

_She… She did not know potatoes could do that._

"_I'm going to start aiming at you now, Asia!"_

_She shrieked and kicked into motion, __**barely**__ dodging the next potato cannon. She could feel the air pressure graze her cheek that time. And like before, it tore a chunk out of another tree._

_So began her three hour session of hell._

The stream of fire crashed hard against the invisible layer of raw energy and sprayed everywhere. But it held still, never faltering or showing any sign of weakening at all.

There was no intricate pattern, sigil, glyph, or any formula placed within the defense. From what Asia understood during her magic lessons with Akeno, Devil magic was shaped through expending demonic energy and converting it into something through imagination. Formulas and layouts found on magic circles were only used as a better focus of channeling said energy and getting a much more defined result. Such as the teleportation circles within the clubroom.

However, Asia never wanted anything complex. She didn't have the need for something so complex. She only wanted to stop Issei from wailing on her with those potatoes. They hurt! And she was so clumsy she always tripped on her feet. The ground hurt her more times than the potatoes. Since she couldn't dodge, she did the next best thing she could, or couldn't, think of.

Simply, she panicked.

She had thrown her arms out and so _greatly _desired for the potato coming at her at Mach 3 to stop. And so it did. Using her demonic energy and what little lessons Akeno could give during the training camp, Asia had been able to erect a wall with only the concept to 'block'.

She did not realize how unreal the magic was or how impossible it should have been even with demonic energy. One's imagination is remarkable, but there is a limit to what it can do as there are rules placed upon the world. A shield, any for that matter, could not properly block if the oncoming target could apply more force than the shield could resist.

Hers took whatever Issei threw at her, to her great relief.

This was the fruit of her training. She no longer had to stand in the back and heal her allies while they protected her. Instead, _she _could protect them and could heal them should her defense fail, if at all. She could step up to the frontlines alongside them and not be a burden.

Such as now, when Raizer's spell was rendered useless.

Rias put her barrier down and channeled the Power of Destruction into her fingertips. But no more was it crimson like her hair. This was far more archaic, far more primal and ancient as though it had been drawn from the great chaos in the Age Before. It was black and devoured everything it touched once exposed to the open air.

As soon as Asia lowered her own barrier, Rias unleashed a single missile of Destruction towards Raizer.

His arm was obliterated as the black energy erased it from existence. It was such a clean cut no blood was spilt despite there being a gaping hole at his shoulder.

If Raizer was shocked, he didn't show it. Flames sprouted from his wound and began to extend outwards like a torch. Flesh and clothes together were reknitted. No, they weren't simply healed. They were made anew. Raizer stared at his new limb as he flexed his fingers as though he had never seen the appendage before in his life.

He curled his head back and barked out in laughter. "This is marvelous, Rias! I didn't think you had any actual bark within you! To withstand my attack and wound me like this? I'll admit you've gotten further than most of the others I've fought before. But try to understand that's as far as you're going to get. My regeneration is absolute, rivaling that of the legendary phoenix itself. Cut me down as much as you like and I'll still be back for more."

More black energy began to ooze out as it _breathed _between her fingertips. A feral grin lit up Rias' face. "Oh? Then we'll see how well that regeneration works if I completely destroy you!"

She split the energy in half, separating it between her hands. But the Destruction grew stronger and made the tiles below her crack with its intense pressure. With a throw of her hands, two more missiles were launched at Raizer, who let them pass through devouring his flesh.

_Thrashed._

_That was probably the perfect word to choose for their evaluation. Nothing they did worked. Nothing they did so much as made a mark, let alone grant their survival._

_Rias' Power of Destruction had made a direct hit. It was a power capable of leveling the main school building of Kuoh Academy. It shook the ground in its blast, throwing a few of her servants off their feet for being unprepared. Akeno, who had known Rias the longest, had been able to read the signs and prepare a barrier to deflect the majority of the damage._

_The attack took out a good chunk of her reserves. Not enough to put her in danger, but enough to make her sweat and harden her breathing._

_Issei had stood perfectly still, taking the full blunt of the attack with his arms up in a wall and his feet planted firmly onto the ground. The small area that was his shadow behind him was spotless as the Destruction could not pierce through his guard. By no means was Issei unharmed. His arms were scorched to a black crust._

_She watched as the layer of scales cracked, crumble apart, and be replaced by a new, more hardened layer of red scales._

_He then switched over to his Assaulter stance._

_Rias gasped as she had less than a blink of an eye to react. Issei was upon her before she could realize it. She moved only on pure instinct. Like death was upon her and her body had taken over complete control to ensure her safety. Power surged through her once more as she erected a barrier between the two and began to leap back._

_The high-grade barrier might as well be made of paper with the way Issei broke through it. A barrier only Akeno's Heavenly Lightning could pierce through. And he tore through it as if it never existed in the first place._

_Shock struck her more than the pain. She didn't think her Pawn would hurt her. She thought he would stop the fight as soon as she was defenseless. No. He brought his fist forward and struck at her right cheek, just below the eye._

_There was a loud clack as hard scale met Devil flesh. Rias was sent tumbling back with limbs flopping everywhere. There was no grace about it. The move had made her eat dirt as she was sent sliding across the terrain._

_And there hadn't been any emotion from Issei when he had done this. He wasn't cold or murderous like he had been the few times she had seen him before. He was… focused, if she could put it into words. He just watched her get back up, gesture to have the next person come up, and get back into his Defender stance._

_He repeated the cycle for each member of the peerage. He would use Defender to evaluate their attacks and then initiate Assaulter for their defense. He shattered Yuuto's knees, pinned Koneko down to the point where she couldn't move, and shot Akeno out of the sky with a beam of draconian energy. The result was always the same. They might as well be a group of flies trying to tackle a lion. It was always overwhelming, hopeless even._

_Asia wasn't devoid of this. He made her stand up against him._

…_However not even Issei could break Asia like he did with the others. When he charged forward to strike her, when she froze in fright… he flicked her forehead._

_Granted, it was a very hard flick that left a nasty bruise and some skin to tear. But still._

_Next, after they had recovered enough, he suggested they attack him as a team. Once again, he stood in his Defender stance and let them attack him in unison._

_He didn't move other than to protect himself with his hands and arms from the more potent of attacks. But even the combined might of them all, using a strategy Rias had come up with to face Stray Devils to have the highest potential of damage, did __**nothing**__ against him. All he need do is shed his skin and he was prepared for the next strike._

_His regeneration ability, if it could be called that, was on par to a Phoenix's. She wasn't sure if it really was regeneration. It was more like how certain reptilians shed their skin after they either outgrow it or generate a more durable one underneath._

_Rias had noticed all of their attacks weren't doing as much damage as before. Not just because they were tiring. But because Issei was growing a sort of resistance._

_Finally, when he deemed enough was enough, he switched to the Assaulter stance._

_And they were not prepared._

_They had expected the normal amount of speed and might as before. They were __**horribly**__ knocked off their feet. Asia, who was in the far back to act as the medic as soon as he struck, was the first target. His finger flick this time was hard enough to knock her to the floor. Not even Yuuto had been able to keep track of his speed._

_Akeno was next, who was flying high in the sky. His knee made contact with her face. It wasn't all as he flipped himself around and made an axis kick to her shoulder, bringing her down to the ground. Hard._

_There should have been a moment to breathe as Issei should have followed the laws of gravity to fall at a natural pace. No. He was already upon Koneko, his feet digging into the earth by the impact of his landing. He swept her feet, grabbed her ankle, and threw her into the sea of trees all in one fluent motion. Her body crashed through several trees before finding the unforgiving ground. _

_And they didn't realize he moved from Akeno to Koneko until __**after**__ he had dealt with her and moved on to Yuuto. The Knight, being the swiftest of them all, moved away from Issei to draw space. He was the one to last the longest. Not because of the twin swords he put up as a shield, but because his speed was the greatest of them all._

_Well, not including Issei, who was able to catch up to him in another leap. The Pawn didn't go for the legs like last time, as Yuuto had expected. Instead, Issei smashed through Yuuto's swords. Fractures of metal cut through his skin as the fist thudded into his chest. He spat out blood as something within him shattered._

_Yuuto had been able to get Issei separated from the original position. The Knight had been keen enough to draw attention away from his King. Rias knew what he was trying and wouldn't allow his attempt to go to shame. She drew deeper into her reserves, drawing more power than what was deemed 'safe'. It was more power than she knew her body could channel at a time. Her fingers bled and her body ached at the strain._

_Unfortunately, she never got the chance to unleash any of it. In the great distance of twenty meters, Issei had crossed it in one leap, only stopping short for her to realize how dangerously close he was._

_His clawed hands wrapped around her face, his palm breaking her nose by the sheer force of his grip, and he forced her onto her back, bashing her head against the ground without mercy._

_The world was spinning as the concussion was already doing its damage. But before the darkness claimed her, she saw into those large green orbs with diamond slits._

_Those were not the eyes of her adorable Pawn, of one who would do anything for those he loved. They were the eyes of Predator, one who would kill simply for the reason that he could._

…_Did she make the right decision in the end?_

"_Alright guys," Issei grinned as he knocked his fist into his palm some twenty minutes later. This time in excitement. "I think I have a few ideas on what to do. Why don't we try to make a schedule? I want to train each and every one of you guys individually for a few hours. Then, for the last few hours of the day, I want to work on teamwork. How does that sound?"_

_He would have gotten a much more lively response (or any response, really) if he hadn't just mutilated his 'teammates' and act all chipper after inducing such pain._

_It was quite possibly the greatest miracle that Rias had been fortunate enough to have Asia inducted into the peerage, dark incident that made her become a Devil in the first place or not. If not for her Twilight Healing, what healing spells Rias and Akeno knew might not have been enough to patch everyone back together so easily. Yuuto especially. With a ruptured lung and shattered ribs, he would have been out of commission for a few days._

_The one to take the least amount of damage would be Koneko. She came out of the woods with only a few bruises and some twigs in her hair._

_Rias' eyes shifted over to Asia __**jealously**__. It was rather unfair that the Bishop only got off with a __**finger flick**__ while everyone else got a royal beat-down._

_And just imagine, there were seven other impossible beings just as unreal as Issei._

…_The world's not fair anymore._

"_So who wants to be first for the day?" Issei asked, completely ignorant that everyone was still sore with phantom pain and crushed pride._

_As such, he didn't get a response. For the first time, Rias mentally said the hell with Kings and being a model for their peerage. If it meant being the first to get another thrashing, then she would rather have Akeno—_

"_I volunteer our dearly beloved King," as though reading her thoughts like a true friend would, Akeno voiced her opinion before Rias could say anything. "The King is the one who must lead by example after all."_

_Rias didn't miss that __**bitch's**__ sadistic smile._

"_Yosh!" Of course, Issei also couldn't read the mood. He was already getting into the Assaulter stance. "Come on Buchou! We need to work on your defense first! I'll call it a day when you can break my attack at least once!"_

_Her only reply to that was to fall onto her back and give an audible groan._

Let it be known Rias Gremory is a sore loser.

She absolutely reviled the sheer idea of losing. The only sort of loss she could stomach was against the few chess matches she and Sona had every now and then. Currently, their win/loss ratio was split even, but it didn't excuse the fact that her childhood friend could still defeat her.

She was absolutely disgusted when the Fourth Predator tossed her and her peerage around like they were nothing. He made it so they _knew _they believed to have a ghost of a chance and yet could easily kill them a hundred times over should he change his mind and _try_. She had never felt so _weak _like that before. She couldn't do anything to stop him or to support Issei.

She had failed at being a King.

Knowing her weakness, knowing she couldn't make a difference against an opponent of that league, and knowing she couldn't even stand up against someone so _meager _in comparison like Raizer Phenex, Rias swallowed her pride and asked her Pawn to train her from the ground up.

He put her through a meat grinder.

In ten short days, he made her go through the basics of the basics. He made her reexamine her Power of Destruction as well as every spell she knew. And with every revelation she came up with, he tore them back down.

But he never destroyed her. No, he made it so she could pick herself back up. When she crumbled, he was there to support her, to mold her, to make her stronger than she was before. Eventually, she found herself being able to withstand his blows. To _not _get knocked off her feet. She had improved vastly in every field.

The end result of that training had been an enormous growth in her reserves and a, dare she say, _mutated _version of the Power of Destruction. Her reserves, though vast, were often compared to a large well that could sustain a small village. Now, it was more akin to a flowing river that could support an entire city. As for the Power of Destruction, it had grown chaotic, as though it had a life of its own with its sole purpose to devour everything with its ceaseless gluttony. It was only a source of power before, but now it was something entirely different.

Now, it was like a creature of its own.

She was the first and _only _one of the group capable of pushing Issei.

Black orbs of chaos fired from her hands in an endless discharge. They tore through Raizer's body like beasts snapping jaws and ripping flesh in their hunger. The Phenex' regeneration was remarkable, she will admit, but it wasn't as noteworthy as he had claimed it to be. There was a delay on how soon he could regrow limbs and seal wounds. For every wound he closed, she opened two more, sometimes three. And the strain was doing a number on him as he had to focus his demonic energy to heal himself. Beads of sweat began to sprout from his brow as he gritted his teeth.

Eventually he couldn't stand idle and began to retaliate. He threw bombs and waves of fire at her and Asia. What the Power of Destruction didn't devour was blocked by Asia's newfound spell. Nothing was getting past them as Raizer was slowly losing his sense of superiority.

But, Rias never finished him off. She could have launched a massive blast of Destruction that would have obliterated his entire body. But that's not what she wanted. She wanted to prove to Raizer that she wasn't someone he could control. She wasn't a trophy or figurine for him to collect solemnly for his pleasure.

The same could be said for her peerage. While the two battled on the rooftops, Rias listened to Grayfia's announcements here and there.

One Knight, one Rook, and Raizer's Queen had fallen since their battle started. The look on his face at the mention of Yubelluna's defeat was priceless.

…Well, Rias was just as surprised but had been able to hide the look that much better. After all, she _never _would have expected Akeno to use her Heavenly Lightning. Ever. Period.

Off to the side, in the open garden that resided in front of the new school building, the remainder of Raizer's peerage was fighting against Koneko and Kiba. The second Knight against Kiba and a Bishop trying to maintain her distance from Koneko. Rias had to blink a few times to make sure they were her Pieces. First, she couldn't pick up Kiba's presence. As in, at all. He was like a phantom with the way he moved, with his demonic energy so compressed it was like he was a shadow rather than a corporeal entity.

Second, and Rias _really _had to blink to make sure she was seeing this right, was Koneko. Who was spotting a pair of cat ears and a tail. The reclusive girl, who was absolutely terrified of her bloodline, was now openly using the one trait she abhorred.

…They all went to the same training camp, right?

In spite of the tremors, debris, and volley of random shots fired, two figures stood in the distance having a small chat.

The first was Raizer's second Bishop and sister, Ravel Phenex. The other was, who was ignoring the orders she had given him, her Pawn, Issei.

A pang of jealousy hit her when she caught him smiling and laughing with the enemy Bishop.

Honestly… that boy…

Wait. As Rias did the math in her head, there should have been two more Pawn accounted for. Where in the world could they—

She wanted to smack herself and then Issei. But mostly Issei. Having abandoned the clubroom, and therefore her team's base, the two remaining Pawns could have snuck through all the commotion and Promoted themselves. That could definitely throw a wrench in her gears if they both Promoted as Queens.

But if Issei had abandoned his post then surely there must have been a reason behind it.

Their eyes locked at that moment.

Ah. She realized the moment couldn't have been any better.

She stopped her assault on Raizer, causing him to blink in confusion and then scowl in irritation. She placed two fingers to her ear and commanded, "Everyone, stand down. That's enough."

Suddenly, the fighting stopped. An eerie silence followed. Since the beginning of the match there was a constant noise of battle. It had been nothing but background noise. Now, without it, the silence was almost deafening.

"…Glad for you to come to your senses," despite his… exhaustion, Raizer _still _had the gall to keep his arrogance up and about. "You've finally realized you can't beat me."

Rias gave a smirk of her own as she casually brushed the hair over her shoulder. "You're right about that, in a way. There's only so much I can do against your regeneration. But know this, Raizer Phenex. I am not surrendering. The match will be in our favor, but I won't be the one to win it. In fact, I think you should know that you never really stood a chance at all."

He frowned, "And why is that?"

Her smirk grew to that of adoration and praise, "Because my Pawn is better than whatever you claim to be. That, and more."

His frown turned into a snarl. "I'm growing tired of this, Gremory. Come; prove to me the worth of your _filthy _lowlife of a Pawn."

Rias smiled in satisfaction. "Oh, very well then. If that's what the great Raizer Phenex wants, then I might as well give him what he so desires."

She even gave him a wink, knowing it would be the last gesture of enjoyment he would ever see on this planet.

"Issei! Your King commands you!"

*Scene*

Issei knew the two Pawns were coming towards the Occult Research Room probably before even the pair knew it themselves. His instincts told him, as they did with every movement on the field, and he could plan accordingly. Even as he planned, his instincts told him which idea would work the best and which would be the least efficient.

Such was the perk of being a Predator.

So come to his dismay when he's left with a choice. He was ordered by his King to watch over the clubroom, yet at the same time was forbidden from participating in the game until he got the okay. He sat in his usual place on the couch in deep thought over that. He couldn't intercept the two girls making their way through the forest. He couldn't even tie them up as that would hinder them from participating, thus going against his master's orders.

He thought about using Dress Break against them. And as much as he _really _wanted to try out that new spell on someone other than Asia, it would effectively provide the same results as tying them up. He could imagine it. They would freeze in surprise (giving him all the time he needed for his draconian eyesight to capture every detail of their bodies), squeal, and try to cover themselves. They wouldn't fight anyone in the nude what with some several million viewers watching the game.

Saddened he couldn't use Dress Break on the two feline girls in sailor outfits, he slipped out the window and made his way to the center of the area.

A stream of manly tears made an immaculate rainbow as he leapt out onto the main pathway.

"Hi there," he greeted one of Raizer's girls when he made it to the field Yuuto and Koneko were fighting. He had watched at how that damn handsome fought another Knight in a pure swordfight, completely overwhelm her with his superior speed and unreadable movements, and then moved on to the other Knight wielding a Zweilhander. He also saw Koneko give one hell of a thrashing to the Rook sporting a jacket and a mask taking half of her face.

Koneko spotted him. He smiled and waved at her. And for some reason her face turned red, but she returned with a small smile that made him squeal like a little girl. Koneko was just so cute!

He still thought so even after he totally smashed that other Rook's face in. Not just broke her nose. She, literally, smashed her face in.

The girl he greeted gave him an odd look, but then it turned into one of recognition. At first it was disgust (as he had grown rather accustomed to over the years of being a pervert), but then it became wariness. And not the normal type he received from the general female populace. Her eyes were sharp as though acknowledging him as a worthwhile enemy.

"…You must be Issei Hyoudou," she spoke more so to herself than to him.

He didn't think much about it, not because thinking was hard but because he figured they had information on the Gremory peerage just as much as they did for Raizer's group. "That… would be me. Pawn of Rias Gremory."

She eyed him for a moment, with her eyes tracing over his clothes and armor. A slender brow arched not in question his choice in attire but in understanding, as though she never expected him to do something she would approve of.

If she wasn't so cute and totally his type (blonde hair, blue eyes, foreign nobility features) he would have stopped liking her.

"It's… nice to meet you in person," she said after thinking to herself. She didn't turn his way, but she still cupped the hems of her dress and gave a small bow. "Ravel Phenex, Bishop."

A brow of his twitched. Ravel _Phenex. _His senses had been able to pick up traces of Raizer Phenex within her, but so had every member of his peerage just like how a little piece of Rias was within the members of the Occult Research Club. However, everyone on both parties at least a little bit about themselves that made them unique. Ravel here was a spitting image of Raizer. She didn't just have the same general look as him, but she had the same scent and energy signature. Which meant…

…That sick son of a bitch had a family member in his _harem! _Who the hell does that?!

"…I hate your King just a little bit more now," he bluntly stated.

She sighed and threw her hands up in dismissal. "If it were anyone else I'd probably be insulted. And, honestly, I wouldn't be talking to you with your performance back in Gremory's territory. But after the match so far, and thinking over King Oberon's warning… I'm going to have to… respectfully acknowledge your statement. I didn't want to be a part of this Rating Game, but my brother asked me to be a part of his peerage, saying he needed to fill in the places as the sister and… _tsundere _type."

As much as he hated the guy, Raizer had a well-organized and categorized harem. The man knew what he wanted and Issei could respect that. Begrudgingly.

"Wait, who?" something she said caught his attention.

"Who what?" she asked.

"King who of what said what about me?" he spoke in confused gibberish.

"King… Oberon of the Fae?" Ravel answered despite his befuddling question. She eyed him waiting for a response. When all she got was a blank face, she elaborated further. "Short guy. Human. Dark skin and hair. Has a pair of red and blue eyes?"

Issei blanched at the description. He felt the color in his face drain away. Ravel saw it as well as the second look he had that whiplashed around to cover the first. She stepped away as though he were about to snap.

She wouldn't be wrong. His fists were tightened into a grip. It took all of his willpower to not unleash a miasma of killing intent into the battle.

He knew who she was talking about. He closed his eyes and focused on the person in question. He didn't know anything about this 'King Oberon' crap.

The person was watching the match in a large booth in a lavishing velvet chair and a glass of wine dangling loosely in his fingertips. He was sitting with an elderly being with a long beard and eye patch who had a pint of ale instead of wine.

Chase Lance Rolan, Sixth Predator, gave a small gesture to Issei and went back to his conversation with the divine elder beside him.

There was a time when he would have been terrified of Rolan being in Japan. But now? Now he was just pissed off. How _dare _he step foot in _his _territory.

"Oh. Him," Issei managed to ground out as he tried to maintain his anger. It was difficult. His impulse to take life was demanding fresh blood. The same vengeful wrath he had against those exorcists and Fallen Angels since becoming a true Predator had yet to go away. It never did. Never. Issei was in that constant emotion and could only distract it with his adventures in debauchery or his companionship with his fellow Pieces and King.

Only distract it. He could never put that fire out.

"…What did he say?" his voice was even and filled with such spite even he had difficulty recognizing his own voice.

Ravel had a look of unease. She also had no reason to respond to him. However, after one look from him, she found that she was compelled to. As though it would be a fatal mistake to go against him even in the slightest. "He… he was present during the party last night— the dinner ball before the Rating Game. I believe he said he was evaluating the potential of your Knight as a candidate for a new Holy Sword project, but I didn't get many details about that. When we… when we danced he shared some things about you.

"He claimed there was no chance we could win the Rating Game if you were to participate. But he didn't offer any advice. Instead, gave me a message to pass on to you… as if… he knew you were going to talk to me. While third parties aren't allowed to interfere in Rating Games, I passed it through my father and got the approval from Lord Sirzechs and Lady Grayfia.

"He said both friend and foe will be watching the match. All of them. That was his message. Some of us were… hoping you could fill us in on it."

Issei listened to her explanation as his eyes traced over to the battle still ongoing with Yuuto, Koneko, Asia, and Rias. The Knight and Rook were tiring and it was beginning to show. Not immediately but if one were to spot the small details they could see they weren't in their peak condition. They had been battling for long periods of time and doing their utmost best the whole way. Rias and Asia, however, were showing no such signs. They could keep going.

Though he was aware of their progress and current standing on the field, his mind was lost in what Ravel had told him. _They _were watching. He didn't know what it meant between the 'friend and foe' part, but the message was as clear as day that said all of the Predators would be watching. For what reason, Issei didn't know. They weren't a collective group or organization. They were indifferent people with their own agendas and interests.

But it couldn't be ignored that, despite all their oddities and differences in personalities, they were a_ll _watching this Rating Game. Each one would have their own reason, but that was just silver lining.

They were watching _him. _That's all it led down to.

Issei gave a grin. That grin turned into a smile. That smile turned into a cackling uproar, almost maniacal with how much **hate **he had in it.

Well, if his beloved sempai wanted to interfere in his life further, then he would have to put his foot down in the most… diplomatic method. Now, he knew next to nothing about politics. But he at least knew how to get a point across. And he wouldn't have to bring all of Japan to waste in the crossfire.

After all… from what Rias explained to him, this Rating Game was taking place in an entirely different dimension.

"Thank you, Phenex-chan," he gave her a genuine smile… filled with feral hunger befitting that of his status of a Predator. "I appreciate it."

Ravel didn't know how to react. Her face had paled as a bead of sweat began to break through her skin. She could only nod and go back to watching her teammates.

Issei turned his attention up towards his King. As though sensing his eyes upon her, she turned away for a moment to gaze down at him. He gave a nod as though asking— no, more so e_xpecting _to participate in the game to fulfill his role.

Rias gave him the most beautiful of smiles. It made his heart flutter like a child being promised the toy he always wanted. She turned back to Raizer and began to address him in words he couldn't hear.

He heard her command through the earpiece. So did Yuuto and Koneko. They stopped fighting and disengaged from their opponents. They grouped together to watch the other's back should the enemy Pieces pursue. But the remaining Bishop and Knight just stared dazed and confused.

"Phenex-san," Issei began to remove his jacket. For what he had planned all it would do was get damaged by the strain. Though it was reinforced, it wasn't up to par to his most recent power increase. "You're not going to participate in the Rating Game at all? Not even to defend your brother?"

Ravel, trying to listen to the words being shared between her King and Rias, had her attention stolen by Issei's question. "What? No. I don't want to get dirt on me. Besides, my brother is totally going to win. There's no way Rias can beat him."

"…Then please stand back. I kinda like you. I don't want to hurt you," he gave her a soft smile before walking towards Yuuto and Koneko.

"W-Wha…?" Ravel gave him a dead stare.

"Issei! Your King commands you!" Rias announced at the top of her lungs. She wanted to be heard by everyone across the field as well as those watching the match. She paused for dramatic effect as to make sure all were paying attention to her.

Issei could feel the approaching figures of the two Pawns he left alone back in the clubroom. They were quickly approaching the battlefield faster than when they arrived at the old school building. He could sense their demonic energies had spiked enormously. Surely, they had Promoted to the status of Queens based on how… mentionable their threat-levels increased.

He gave Koneko a smile and Yuuto a pat on the shoulder… then handed his jacket to the blonde handsome and continued pacing away from the group. He began to approach the Bishop and Knight the two were earlier fighting.

When enough time passed, Rias so commanded:

"Defeat the remaining Pieces and destroy Raizer Phenex!"

Power.

Power surged through him. Surged through the air. It made the ground crack, made the wind pick up in fierce whips, made the trees sway, made debris fly everywhere. The enemy stood frozen in place simply because this power kept them locked in place. An aura so thick it felt like they were sealed in concrete. A presence so magnificent they couldn't help but fall to their knees as the weight bore down on their shoulders.

But to his allies, his friends, comrades, fellow Pieces, _family— _they were invigorated by his presence. Like a warmth breaking through a tundra. It made them stand tall, heal their spirits, made them ready to take on any other challenges that threatened to split them apart.

For Yuuto, he felt like he had a brother he could confide in. A fellow man who would help him climb out of the dark hole he had dug for himself in his desire for revenge. It was a strange feeling to him, as he had been so caught in his desires to have never noticed the dark space he imprisoned himself in. He lifted a hand up as to reach for Issei's back, as though his aura were a hand helping him out of this metaphorical hole.

For Koneko, her insecurities were washed away. The madness spreading from her excessive and amateurish use in senjutsu vanished as though the malevolent intent could not stand up against his vigor. She found… peace. There was no reason for her to fear anything.

For Akeno, she felt a gentleness that caressed her heart. A sort of acceptance she could not find for herself. For all of what she deemed as flaws, they were not present. She found herself being accepted for her entire being was _beautiful. _There was nothing about her that was flawed as it was what made her who she was. It made her shed tears of joy.

For Asia, it made her feel loved. It was a reassurance that he will always be with her, that he will always watch over her, that he will protect her from the evils of the world. And he will _never _give in to evil in return. For he had the power to defeat evil with good, as it was his nature to do so as a hero. Blood needn't be spilt senselessly and she knew he would never make her cry.

And for Rias, it made her feel free. For any obstacle that was in her way, she knew Issei would be there to help her overcome them. That he was her loyal servant and will shoulder her burdens to the ends of the earth. That he will never let her feel so weak ever again. It gave her strength, it gave her power, it gave her _purpose._

Together, they knew they could stand behind him. He loved them. They loved him. And _nothing _was going to separate them. They moved as one. For, together, they would move Heaven and Earth.

His eyes shifted from human and brown to the draconian green. His skin hardened, reshaped, with scales surfacing and claws replacing his nails, tearing through his leather gloves. His Devil wings sprouted from the tail of his back but were too altered by his power. They turned sharp, jagged, and sprouted spikes at each tip.

Just as Rias had with her announcement, Issei too had made it all part of the show. He wanted people to see him.

And he wanted them to see what he was about to do.

His instincts as a Predator told him that _everyone _was watching. Millions of eyes were upon him with not one of them about to falter.

Finally, he let that power explode.

"YES, MY MASTER!"

It was like a massive bomb had gone off in the gardens. His kick-off had created a crater deep enough to bury himself while his first strike sent a shockwave through the air fierce enough to deafen anyone's ears. A second shockwave struck in the shadow of the first, less than a second apart. No one saw him move. He simply vanished with eruptions going off at his disappearance.

Bodies flew. The audience would have been sure of that at least. One moment Raizer's Knight and Bishop petrified and in the next some invisible force sent they skyrocketing with blood and gore following. They began to sparkle as the safety precautions kicked in and ejected them out of the game.

[Raizer Phenex. One Knight. One Rook. Retired.]

And yet, the moderator of the game announced unperturbed.

Trees either exploded into splinters or were uprooted by a ferocious wind. More eruptions went off in the distance. Screams were heard.

[Raizer Phenex. One Pawn. Retired.]

A wave of splintered wood could be traced as far back as the gymnasium and was growing closer to the main school building. Breaking free from the sea of trees was another body flying at impossible speeds. She crashed through one window on the first floor and burst through several walls within the interior.

It was her improved durability as a Promoted Queen that saved her life.

[Raizer Phenex. One Pawn. Retired.]

"W-What?!" Raizer couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"**Balance Breaker!"**

His eyes widened in fright— pure unadulterated desire to _survive— _when the roar of some ancient fiend tore through the air. It was something his mind couldn't comprehend. It was so _wrong _that he couldn't stand to be anywhere near it. And he didn't know what it was. The sound was coming from every direction. Nay, it was coming from within his mind! He could _feel _the vices scratching inside his brain. Hatred. Such hatred was pressing into his soul, invading his everything…

…and letting him know _he _was the reason for such hatred.

Something burst through the trees by the gymnasium. It streaked through the air with a pair of florescent wings supporting its unbearable speed. A streak of crimson was flying high into the heavens, impossible to make out due to its untraceable movements and extreme altitude. All he could see was nothing but a red blur…

As though that were a trigger, his mind came to an answer as to _what _this monstrosity was. It was not simply a red blur. It was _the _Red Blur.

It was the Red Dragon Emperor.

The Dragon roared once more and flew down, tackling Raizer in an instant and demolishing the rooftop and below of the school building. Raizer was slammed hard onto the bottom floor as the building came crumbling down upon him.

Rias and Asia, who were still upon the rooftops, began to lose their footing when the building could no longer support itself from Issei's impact. But they needn't worry. Before the foundation could claim them as well as Raizer, a pair of metallic hands wrapped themselves around their waists.

Issei held on to his King and to his dear Asia as his Gift of Flight had him float above the wreckage. Yuuto and Koneko were smart enough to get away. And he spotted Ravel flying through the air with wings of fire.

Her face was frozen with terror at the sight of him.

His instincts were telling him of everyone watching. Those who had the Rating Game tuned to their television had been watching since he began to fight, that much was true. But in the mere seconds he pulverized the remainder of Raizer's peerage, those numbers had skyrocketed.

True to Rolan's message, denizens of the Underworld weren't the only ones watching. He could feel people all over the world, perhaps hijacking the link, watching him.

The world was watching him. It was what he wanted.

"I'm not done with him yet," Issei said when he let Rias and Asia down onto the ground when the dust had settled enough.

"…Don't kill him," was all Rias said.

He didn't respond but would still obey her order. He flew back up to the appropriate height and opened an extended hand directly at eye-level. A crimson orb of draconian energy formed by his will. It was raw, destructive might in its simplest form. Crystalized and manifested destruction dragons may unleash onto their prey was in his grasp. A Dragon's might that may level buildings, wipe out civilizations, lay siege to kingdoms and fortresses, slay gods, destroy mountains and landmarks, or even turn a continent into a barren wasteland was given form with the palm of his hand.

It was the destructive power he unleashed to the Fourth upon their departure.

It was the power he unleashed onto the still buried Raizer Phenex.

A beam of crimson shot down from Issei's palm that incinerated any obstacle in its path as the core traveled down to the center of what remained of the new school building. He made sure he did not aim in Raizer's general direction.

An explosion lit up the area as a dome of red laid waste to the rubble.

And there stood Raizer Phenex in the aftermath. His body brutally damaged with fire sprouting from his wounds to heal him. But he was panting and all traces of his arrogance were long gone.

Only fear remained.

His wings of fire lit up when Issei's presence bore down on him. Raizer fled. His reasoning gone, he tried to escape and cross as much distance from the monster that was the Red Dragon Emperor as was possible. And Issei let him fly away, picking up speed and gaining such distance enough for Raizer to have a smidgeon of hope. A sense of hope that he could, indeed, survive.

Such hope was crushed when Issei was directly behind him, grabbing onto his ankle and swinging him back around. By being forcibly redirected at a high speed, Raizer's entire leg was ripped off as his body flew uncontrollably. Blood trailed behind him as he crash-landed on the unforgiving asphalt of the staff parking lot, skidding and knocking down the wired fence, and finally coming to a stop by the tennis courts.

Already his magic was renewing his lost limb. But even incomplete Raizer tried to get up in an attempt to flee. Nothing else mattered to him.

The sound of grinding metal and thudding of heavy footsteps followed.

Raizer dared to look behind him. He screamed, stumbled, and began to crawl when he couldn't find the motor functions to stand back up.

In a voice of power, Issei spoke with each step getting heavier. **"There is nowhere you can run. There is nowhere you can hide. Wherever you flee, I will find you. I will always find you. I shall always know where you are."**

Raizer began to whimper. Something within him was telling him that all of this was true. Some deep primeval feeling within his soul was telling him this. And there was nothing he could do.

But those same feelings were still screaming at him to run. To prolong the inevitable. To _live _as long as possible.

"**Do you doubt my words, Raizer Phenex? Do you not know who I am? Then let me show you the monster you awakened in your greed.**

"**Let me show you what awaits those who try to harm those I love. Let me show you the beast you must face for disturbing my master."**

The air grew so heavy Raizer began to choke. It was like he was swimming in a sea of blood.

If the first roar was befitting that of a monster, the next one Issei unveiled was befitting that of an abomination. Imagine, a wail of all the souls of the damned being tortured, screaming at the top of their lungs for mercy, salvation, for retribution. Of souls who had been wronged and screamed curses of vengeance, hatred, and malice to the point where they have lost who they were and devolve into vicious beasts. A scream so chilling that it drove even the most sane mad. Something that was not meant to be heard by those of the physical plane. A sound so _wrong _it should not have existed in the first place.

Imagine it. Then, perhaps, one might have a base understanding of what Raizer Phenex had heard upon this day.

The world was being torn apart. Surroundings became wireframes akin to a digital code as pixels of light began to dematerialize. The dimensional magics placed to turn the area of the Dimensional Gap into an arena was being undone not by an intricate spell, but from pure, carnal bloodlust made real.

This was the dominating murderous intent belonging only to one deemed Ultimate Killer.

Issei's armor had transformed as he roared. It had become sleeker, sharper at the joints, more aerodynamic and form-fitting. It hugged close to his body as spikes, crimson colored diamonds, and emeralds protruded throughout his being. Each one glowed as florescent in every color as his Gift of Flight. A second pair of armored limbs formed under his arms.

Eight wings extended out of his back. The first pair were his Devil wings turned Draconian, with how dark they were they absorbed the light as to make the world that much blacker. The second were flames of green cosmic energy that burned as bright as a sun. The third were a set of metallic wings of similar design to his armor that were more designed as blades than actual wings. And last were the geometric lines that were nothing more than windows into the infinite nothingness that was the Dimensional Gap.

Then, his heavenly power was unleashed into the world.

The world around them became white as the system could no longer support his aura. Sirens were going off as to warn of an impending collapse. But any magic trying to eject any of the players could not reach them.

Issei's aura was jamming their attempts. It was simply far too thick for any signal to get through.

"**Do you know who I am?" **he asked in a voice of power that was heard to _everyone _directly into their minds. It did not matter if they could no longer get a feed. He had their attention still and even should they look away he will still be heard. With his authority as a defender of the planet, he so declared it and so it was made to be.

Raizer's mind was a blank screen. But still, his eyes were locked in focus of the draconian being before him. He could not comprehend what was going on. This was too much for him to understand. This was a force of nature that went against the rules of the world. This was an impossibility.

This was the power of a Heavenly Dragon.

No, a small whisper told Raizer, this was something _more._

"**I am Hyoudou Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor, Pawn of Rias Gremory!"**

Then, Raizer couldn't see him as a Heavenly Dragon any longer. There was no switch in his appearance like before. There was no difference in what he was looking at in any shape or form. And yet, _something _shifted.

Raizer was looking at **Death. Death **and **Destruction **given corporeal form.

With the power fueled by the Laws of the World, Issei spoke next with words that would shake the foundations of the entire planet.

"**I am Eighth Predator, the Dragoon!"**

It was only then did something within Raizer Phenex finally give out. The strain was too much. Something broke within him.

His body collapsed onto the white ground as his body went still, a petrified look on his face as drool seeped through his open mouth and tears falling his eyes.

Just as fierce as it had come, the power vanished. The lack of an almighty presence was just as devastating as when he had opened the channels of his cosmic power. The manufactured world began to implode on itself as it could no longer support the strain. He couldn't see it, but he could feel the world falling apart.

He didn't fight against the tug as he was pulled out of the breaking Rating Game arena. Light enveloped he, Raizer, and he knew the others were being ejected as well.

[The match is inconclusive due to a system failure. We shall announce the victor based on overall performance and remaining number of Evil Pieces.

[Rias Gremory is declared winner with no losses!]


	9. The Game Continues

**Yet ANOTHER note from the author! I know, right?**

Hello everybody! Thank you once again for reading another chapter of Eighth, the Dragoon! It means a lot to me.

So first, I got a lot of reviews from the previous chapter. Everyone was tripping out with the way Raizer got demolished. I know I said in the last chapter it was a curbstomp, but apparently according to a few of you it was more outright rape. Truly I had something more gruesome planned on how Issei was to deal with Raizer, but I liked this 'clean' version better.

Moving on, this chapter hits off at 20k words as we sort out all the problems BEHIND the Rating Game. Ah, the game that is politics. How I love thee. Do tell me what you think.

I've also finally made a list of people that will be in the harem at the end of the story. Some of them are a given and some of the others are, like, really? And NO! none of them will be Fem!Vali or Grayfia. The idea of a Fem!Vali is... humorous, but warrants its own story.

Last before the chapter begins, I will be taking a break from this story. Next update should be after the New Year. Why? Because I need to finish the LN. Then, I promise a few people on this site that I would read their stories and haven't done that. Like an ass. You know who you are and to each of you I apologize. But I'm going to be getting to those requests as promised! This AN right here is my testimony.

Also, and this is big news, I am FINALLY working on Throne of Shirou and Blood Stained White Rose!

Huzzah!

...And about half of you don't even know what I'm talking about. It saddens me.

Oh, and regarding the reviews about Ayame I STILL get...

We'll get to that another chapter. That's everything so far! Enjoy the chapter and leave a review!

* * *

**Betas (PEOPLE I SPAM FOR ADVISE!)  
**

Third Fang

Redmoon2

* * *

It was the night before the Rating Game between Rias Gremory and Raizer Phenex.

On normal circumstances, games that were used to settle disputes between two families were subtle occurrences that were left in discretion. Though for mature Devils the records will show permanently on the casings for Rating Games, it was another story for underage Devils like Rias Gremory. No matter who won or lost, there would be no official evaluation to give her a ranking in the Rating Games once she became of age. Also, as this was to be an unofficial match to settle a personal matter, only the relatives of the two opposing families were permitted to attend as well as the few invites they may send out.

Apparently this wasn't one of those occurrences.

It didn't make sense to Sona. True, even in unofficial matches there were to be gallant balls and dinner parties on the evening before. But, like the matches themselves, they were supposed to include only those related to the family or close personal friends. And not everyone present would be watching the match. The point of such social gatherings was to gather as much intel on the opposing team as much as possible. Other reasons included strengthening the bonds with distant relatives who had their own resources, striking last minute deals with any and all families including between the two participating in the match, and, above all, intimidation.

Typically, the peerages of Rias and Raizer were to be present. However, given that she is still away on her training expedition, only Raizer's full peerage was present.

…As well as several other nobility and their peerages.

Sona had been invited to attend to the ball because she was going to be the announcer for the live stream that will be broadcasted in the Underworld. But as she struck conversations here and there she couldn't fathom why some of the other Young Devils were present. Sure, she could understand why Sairaorg Bael was present as he was the cousin to Rias, but she didn't understand why some of the other heirs to the remaining Seventy-Two Pillars were present. It was in her understanding they had no reason to be present.

It wasn't just them that were present. There were Lords attending, both in power and retired.

Sona's eyes widened in shock when she spotted the twin-tailed hairstyle she could recognize from a mile away. Her sister was present, one of the Four Satans, Serafall Leviathan.

Sona excused herself from a conversation and moved to the opposite side of the large hall. It's not that she didn't love her sister… it's just that Serafall tends to embarrass her whenever they meet. It would be political suicide given how many high-ranking Devils were present in this charade.

As she moved about the room, she spotted another of the Satans: Sirzechs Lucifer and his Queen, Grayfia Lucifuge. They were chatting away with the head of the Phenex House as well as his wife.

"Ah, wonderful, perhaps her sister might be of assistance," came a voice approaching from behind.

She steeled herself and made herself as presentable as possible. She recognized the voice of it belonging to the third of the Four Satans, Ajuka Beelzebub. It would bring shame not only to the House of Sitri but onto herself and her personal pride if she was nothing but most respectable before one of the four kings of the Underworld.

However, when she turned around to greet him, she became petrified. Her heart stopped beating as her blood froze.

Standing beside Ajuka Beelzebub was a face she had seen once before. A young man, a _human _male with dark skin and hair and heterochromic eyes of red and blue. Tonight, he wore a fine pressed suit with a large cape flowing off his shoulders and a golden wreath crown.

He was Sixth Predator, Chase Lance Rolan.

The ever charming Devil escorting him greeted with a suave smile, "Good evening to you, Madam Sitri. I am sorry to disturb you but perhaps you could assist me with something? Do you by chance know where your sister has wandered off to? I would like to introduce this young man— ah, excuse me. Let me first introduce him. This is…"

He waved a hand for Rolan to continue off. Sona nearly bit back that she didknow who this _monster _was. However, her instincts to live kept her from saying such words as well as reeling in her emotions from showing on her face. Both because she was addressing to the only Satan equally as impossibly strong as Sirzechs Lucifer, who could more than likely match a Predator in might, and because she was talking _about _aforementioned Ultimate Killer.

Rolan's trademark scowl was present, but it was as light as it was when they had chatted on the computer those weeks ago. Dare she say he was expressing something akin to respect towards her. "Yes, it is good to finally meet you in person Sona Sitri. Chase Lance Rolan, current Oberon. Hyoudou has told me a fair bit about you."

Her lips twitched. Oh how she wanted to spit in his face and lash every _colorful _word in her vast dictionary just for simply mentioning Issei's name. After everything that had transpired, how dare he show his face to her and act as though they were mutual acquaintances?

"You act as though we have never held a conversation before, Sir Rolan," she replied coolly, pushing her emotions down with utmost efficiency. Loathing every minute but playing the part, she held out her hand for him to grasp in greeting. "Nevertheless, it is certainly a surprise to see you."

'Surprise' might have been the understatement of the century.

He took her hand, with her suppressing the shiver at his touch, and raised it while giving a slight bow. An… interesting way to greet someone, but not improper. His movements were graceful and every gesture showed utmost respect.

Ajuke raised a brow and gazed down at the shorter male quizzically, "Oh? I hadn't known you two had already met. And by 'Hyoudou' do you mean Rias Gremory's Pawn?"

"I do," Rolan gave a small nod. "I've known the young man since before he became a Devil. It was only recently when I was trying to reach him did I stumble upon Madam Sitri in his place. It was a video chat. Now, pardon me Master Beelzebub, but would you excuse us for the evening? I'd like to finish a conversation we started. I thank you for being my guide. But rest assured, I'm not finished with you just yet. I'll have you reveal all your secrets in due time."

He didn't smile, but there was something of a playful challenge in his eyes.

Ajuka was the one to smile as his eyes almost lit up in childish excitement, "I'd like to see you try, King Oberon. Yes, I'd welcome a challenge from you anytime. Have a good evening and enjoy the party. Madam Sitri."

With a small polite bow to the two of them, Ajuka Beelzebub excused himself and went through the sea of people until he was no longer in sight.

…Leaving Sona alone with the Sixth Ultimate Killer.

"Shall we dance?" he asked as he held out his hand for her.

"…I was under the impression you despised dancing?" she replied as she adjusted her glasses. She was just stalling time to find an excuse to get as far away from him as possible. And getting up and personal in a dance with him was the exact opposite of what she wanted.

"I do. Greatly. I wouldn't even think about offering. But, I'm not the one present at the moment." His eyes went down to his hand as his fingers traced the embroidery on his suit. "This is actually the body of my familiar, Luscious Symphon Melodic. An Elemental Effigy who has an interesting ability to warp space. Such as rewriting reality to have its body in an exact replica of mine while I transfer my psyche to it."

"I'm afraid I've never heard of… either of those two," she said though filed away both 'Luscious Symphon Melodic' and 'Elemental Effigy' away for research.

"And you'll probably never will from anyone else," something cold slipped in his tone. "There were only five Elemental Effigies. The premise was for one of them to slay the other four and absorb their abilities. But should any of their masters die before succeeding then they would have to start from scratch as all those souls gathered would disperse throughout the world once more. But when you have a master like me, seeking the other four was simple. The other four souls of the Effigies were absorbed by mine and I destroyed the society that had so desperately tried to achieve what I did. All their records, data, and even the mystic instructions relating to all things of the Effigies were rid of."

She wasn't surprised. Issei had mentioned Sir Rolan was something of a tyrant who killed indiscriminately. If you ever pissed him off then you were more than likely to be killed on the spot; that was how Issei worded it. Rumor has it he had wiped out a civilization so thoroughly that history can never recall who or what they were, not even records to indicate that said civilization was suddenly wiped out. Preposterous, but given who was being spoken about it was likely.

After all, one of the two requirements of being a Predator was the capacity to kill _anything. _

"Why are you telling me this… if I may ask," she added the last part after some consideration.

He extended his hand once more. "Dance with me and I'll answer all your questions."

This time, she couldn't hold back the grimace. Nothing would thrill her more than to be rid of him. She wanted to run away and teleport out of the Underworld since he was here. However, her critical mind was still running. This was an opportunity she could not miss.

She took his hand, and he escorted her to the dance floor.

Sir Rolan's scowl deepened at the prospect of dancing. He truly did despise it even if he wasn't the one directly participating. And that scowl deepened when they were given the center with Lords and lesser nobility watching their movements.

A song began to play. The two bowed, closed the distance, and started to move to the music.

"How is it you knew I hated dancing?" he asked in a low tone. With so many Devils watching, he kept his face placid with the exception of the permanent scowl.

Sona was ever more exceptional as her face was the epitome of serenity. "I made sure to memorize all the things you strongly dislike from what Issei has mentioned to me in passing. In the chance you were to ever visit Japan, for any reason at all; I would make it so you would not be displeased or insulted."

"With the exception of the sun, humanity, and the land itself," he muttered.

"…With those exceptions, yes."

Because there was _nothing _anybody can do about the sun. A Predator could wipe out humanity and could demolish the small island that is Japan, but even their might could never remove the sun.

But, seriously, why Rolan hated the sun the most was beyond her.

His brow loosened as his tone shifted to one of respect, "You're a very clever girl. I tell you these things because I've learned that talking is the last thing you want to do in a battle. You tend to reveal all your secrets to the enemy even when you don't realize doing it yourself. But I've also learned from those talking, when you say nothing in return you still reveal your secrets. Silence is, sometimes, an answer in of itself."

She didn't say anything, which made her lips twitch. He had just revealed that no matter what she did, or didn't do, he would learn a little bit about her. She didn't want to say anything because she wanted to think over his words and to press him to continue at the same time. Exactly how much of herself did she reveal from that lone gesture?

"For example," he continued without missing a beat, "the Fourth told me you figured out our little plan based off of the small conversation you and I had before. I didn't say anything but it was what I _didn't _say that gave you the revelation. You are far more clever than most of the general populace I have met over the years. I let myself ramble because I'm curious to see what you will discover. I am interested to see what you may become once you've sharpened that skill of yours to meet our standards."

"…There's more going on, isn't there?" she asked while holding back her anger. Her face was as perfect as porcelain but the grip on his arm tightened. "Making Issei into a Predator wasn't enough for you? Now that he is what you wanted him to become, can't you leave him alone? What else is there you need to do?"

He was silent as they twirled around, masterfully moving with the music and alluring the crowds. His face was as unreadable as hers, but with the mindset of a complete monster Sona had no idea of grasping what he was thinking about.

"Over the years, we realized something. Something I'm sure Hyoudou will tell you about if you ask, but if he hasn't then I suggest you don't push him about it. Some things are better left unsaid. For the moment, at least. This… _thing _has pushed us. We began looking for beings of potential, beings who would grow into greatness and those who already possess it. In the past five years, we have created merely five out of the current ten subclass individuals we call 'Candidates'. These are people who are just one step away from becoming Predators themselves.

"And out of the original eleven, only one of them has ascended into our ranks."

"…Issei," she knew what he was talking about at the very beginning.

She couldn't hide the scowl this time. Her frustrations were at the peak. She should have known. The incident nearly three weeks ago wouldn't be the first time the Predators had manipulated Issei's life. Or even those times in the past few years when they threw dangerous missions his way to sharpen his killing intent. No…

It began as far back as three years ago, when the Fourth killed Issei's parents.

For the first time, she was not afraid of Sixth Predator Rolan. Instead, she wanted to claw out those eyes of his. Even if it meant it would be the end of her she would be content with leaving a permanent scar on his face. Not pleased, not even satisfied, but content.

She would accept death if she could do at least that much.

But it was outside her capability to do such a thing. A Predator's instinct was the finest of any creature on the planet. In fact, they were backed by the planet itself and it was more than likely feeding him information about her intentions. He probably knew what she wanted to do before the idea came to her mind.

She had to swallow those feelings. There was also something else that had bothered her.

"And you're here to repeat your performance, _King Oberon_?" she more so said as a statement than relaying as a question.

"For the most part," he said without a moment of hesitation. Once again, there was that tone of respect for her figuring out his plan with limited information. "Believe it or not, I am here for work as well. As the current King Oberon, I have to make public appearances here and there while establishing stable relationships with resourceful foreign governments. Such is what I am doing right now, by dancing away with the heiress to the House of Sitri and sister to Serafall Leviathan."

She had been so upset with him and absorbed in his duties as a Predator that she didn't realize the importance of presenting himself as the king of the Fair Folk. She had thought it a sort of alias for him to sneak into the Devil society but that wasn't the case. He was using her to make himself look good.

Before she could retort, the music had stopped playing. Soft applause clapped throughout the hall as they broke apart and gave another bow. He escorted her off the floor and towards…

She nearly groaned. Her sister had been one of the spectators and was practically bouncing around in anticipation.

"You should smile more often," Rolan mentioned. "I think it would make Hyoudou happy if you did that at least every now and then."

She wanted to say words of venom but instead her mouth moved in practiced politesse, "I'm afraid you're mistaken. I haven't smiled."

"…My familiar, she can affect things other than myself," he said just a few steps before coming towards Serafall Leviathan.

Sona realized that she _was _smiling. Not only that, but her entire expression was matching that of someone who was pleased. Though her mind was telling her that she was scowling and grimacing, and she could feel the pressure on the muscles of her face reassure her, Rolan's words told her otherwise.

"Sona-chan!" the twin-tail haired Satan nearly pounced on her younger sister when they got within conversation distance. "Your Onee-san has been looking all over for you! I was about to cry because I thought you were avoiding me. But I knew my cute Sona-tan would never do that to me~"

Little did she know that Sona _was _avoiding her.

"Hello Lady Serafall," Sona greeted with respect towards both her sister and as a king of the Underworld. A personal compromise compared to what Serafall wanted.

"Mou~" Serafall pouted anyways like a child. "No, no, no! That won't do at all! You're supposed to go all like 'Onee-san~' while I go all 'Sona-chan~" as we embrace and have a moe-moe moment of sisterhood."

Sona suppressed a shiver. With the way Serafall was unconsciously emitting miniature hearts to float in the air from her Devil aura, it sounded more like her older sister wanted to step over that line to _never _cross.

"Still as lively as ever, Levi-tan," Rolan gave a huff, which was his personal method of chuckling without actually laughing or cracking a smile. "You're looking lovely tonight. But it's a shame. You look more radiant in your costume than in this stiff drab."

Sona blinked. Did he really just call her…?

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! Obi-tan! How have you been?" Serafall snapped out of her daydream and wiped away the sliver of drool escaping her lips. She beamed a smile at Rolan as though she was completely ignorant of his position.

…And based on the nickname she just called him, it was almost as if the two of them were close _friends._

The tall figure standing beside Serafall cleared his throat to gain attention.

Eyes moved towards him. A man in the twilight of his years with a long gray beard that nearly touched the floor, an eye patch over his right eye, and elaborate dress robes. To his side, almost in his shadow, was a young lady with white hair dressed in an immaculate dress donned under decorative armor and a matching sword.

"Oh, Sona-chan, Obi-tan, allow me to introduce to you the King of the Norse Pantheon," Serafall waved her hands towards the elder being.

"Odin of the North. A pleasure," he greeted more out of habit than actual pleasantry.

The woman at his side gave no introduction. By the looks of things, she was his escort and had no right to speak unless spoken to. She was probably his private bodyguard who was forced to dress for the occasion.

It wasn't missed how her eyes locked on with Rolan's. Her eyes narrowed slightly as though recognizing him as a threat. He, however, only nodded in private greeting before returning his attention towards Odin. Yet the silent woman didn't look away.

"Y-Yes, good evening King Odin," Sona said. "I am Sona Sitri, heiress to the House of Sitri. I do hope your visit to the Underworld has been pleasant thus far."

At this, Odin gave a smirk as he began to stroke his beard, "I've seen many wondrous things here in the Underworld. The brothels are bountiful and the spirits never empty. Truly there is something about the beauties of the Devils that the women in Asgard lack. After hearing that the great Leviathan was formerly of House Sitri I had great expectations. And I was not disappointed! Both you and your sister are great beauties. As expected from a former house of succubae!"

He began to laugh merrily as Sona tried her best to not look insulted. All along this man had been doing nothing but 'checking out' her and her sister. Dare she say his perverted nature was that much sharper than Issei! _Issei! _You have to be Predator-class or higher on the perverted scale to surpass him and this god had done just that!

"Have you no decency?!" the woman finally reacted as she smacked the back of his head with a paper fan that appeared in her grip via magic sigils. "How many times do I have to tell you; Odin-sama, we are guests here in this realm. You shouldn't be going around treating them with such disrespect! Think of all the problems we will have to face back home should negotiations fail if we are accused of sexual harassment!"

"Bah," the old god gruffed. "I _am _showing respect for them. And how many times must I tell you, Rossweisse? You're never going to lose your virginity if you can't take a compliment like that."

"W-W-W-W-What?!" the maiden, Rossweisse, began to visibly shake as tears threatened to fall. Her knees gave out as she sunk to the floor. "But i-i-it's not my fault I can't get a boyfriend…"

"…There is nothing wrong with still having your virginity," gave Rolan with a hint of distaste. "Now, I know very little about the cultures of the Norse, but if I may speak personally I find it charming that she's held on to it for so long. Better to keep it for someone special than to give it away in a shallow play with a stranger."

Rossweisse looked up to him with new hope, as though she had been wrong about her assumptions about him the whole time. Stars began to twinkle in her eyes.

"Hahahaha, yes that it is. But not a single hero has ever approached her once!" retorted Odin. "She didn't even get a chance to give it away."

The maiden sank into a pit of despair twice as deep as the first.

"A hero…?" curiosity rang in Rolan's voice.

"Rossweisse-chan is a Valkyrie, Obi-tan," answered Serafall.

For a moment, there was a flash of… fear in his eyes. But when he looked at the sobbing Valkyrie on the floor, that fear washed away. "A Valkyrie. I see…" He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Well, given the course of the modern world, the supply of heroes has greatly dwindled. Heroes that match the standards to enter Valhalla are so few in number you're lucky to get one or two every century. And if the supply for heroes is so low, then the necessity for Valkyries must be just as abyssal. I can… see why getting a… a _boyfriend _is so impossible. You have my condolences, miss."

His final words made her sob harder.

"And… who might you be, lad?" asked Odin.

"Odin-sama," Serafall Leviathan hopped on over to the other side to give proper introductions. "This is the fourth King Oberon, High King of the Fae…"

"Chase Lance Rolan," concluded the Sixth Predator.

Recognition flashed through Odin at the name alone. "I see. So this is the lad who killed the third. Strange. I'd imagine you'd be taller."

"Funny," Rolan replied in a dry tone, "most say they never imagined I was human. They usually ask why I'm not a damn fairy."

Odin gave a rather elderly laugh, "Oh, I've had dealings with the Fair Folk in the past. I know of their customs. The title of Oberon can never belong to one of their own. It may only belong to that of an outsider. But I never understood why."

Sona adjusted her glasses, feeling _very _uncomfortable at the exchange but unable to find an opening to excuse herself.

"Obi-tan, I did not expect you to pay a visit until the following week," Serafall began to speak diplomatically though her childish tone was still present. "I was very excited to hear that you were coming earlier than the appointed time but was there a reason for it?"

"Probably for the same reason as to why Odin and Hades are attending," replied Rolan in a much more friendly tone. "I'm sure we all have our differences but I believe we're all here for the Rating Game."

Sona blinked. Hades? As in Hades of the Dead? He was going to watch the game as well?

"Speaking of the appointed time," he continued, "I'd like to set up a meeting with the three of us since we're all present in the Underworld. Would it be possible to gather the Satans together for that? Of course, this is if my speculation for what both Odin and Hades have planned revolve around my own."

Odin gave another gruff, "I can't speak for Old Bones, but I'm here because I wish to establish a link between the Norse and the Shinto Pantheon. I'm requesting the assistance of the Devils to play as a third party to witness the event, perhaps even provide me with an escort to view Japan. Young Sirzechs has recommended the Gremory heiress and her peerage to that task. I'm here to see if they're up to snuff."

"Huh," Rolan gave something that sounded like disappointment. "It would seem I was way off the mark. I had thought you had wanted to establish a similar link with the Devils, not to just hire them to play caretakers. Unfortunately, Hades has rejected all my offers of communications so I can only guess his intentions."

"Well, Obi-tan, I can still push the date for the meeting if you'd like, since you're already here," Serafall said. "I think we might be able to have it right after the Rating Game and the results settle. So in three to four days' time. Is it still about an exchange of resources between us and the Fae?"

"…In a sort of way, yes. I had hoped Odin here had wanted to sign some sort of treaty so we could get him involved. Including Norse magic by the All-Father himself would have been an extraordinary resource. Now, and this I doubt, if I can get Hades involved I might be able to extract his forging secrets on how he makes those scythes.

"Simply, I wish to reinstate the Holy Sword Project and—"

"What?!" Sona gasped.

Heads of all kinds turned towards their group. Sona wasn't the least bit ashamed for her outburst. She understood now why he was here as King Oberon. Why he had said those things while they danced. He was _still _searching to make new Predators and found an opportune moment. A sliver of a chance but one he was willing to take. After all, the worst he would have to suffer was some political backlash, some slight distrust with Devil society, and perhaps a step back from his goal. In exchange, he had no problem expending others, their resources, or awaking a potential cataclysmic event.

A Holy Sword Project. Should he succeed and the Devils obtain a Holy Sword and not the Church, how would Heaven take the knowledge? The balance of powers would be tipped severely if he succeeded in creating something even half as potent as the legendary Excalibur.

Instead, she pressed further, "Sir Rolan— King Oberon, do you realize the implications this will ensue?"

The look he gave her was one a parent would give to their child. "Yes. I'm aware. I've taken everything into account and have found this would be beneficial to all parties. I wouldn't be presenting it in a public event like this if I wasn't so sure."

In other words, he didn't care about the repercussions. So long as he got what he wanted. It would be just like Issei all over again.

"That sounds like… quite the proclamation, King Oberon," Serafall said with some unease. "Please excuse my sister; I can speak for her that this is something of a shock. Perhaps this is something to be spoken about with the other Maous?"

"I can see why you would have wanted my assistance," added Odin. "But shouldn't you be presenting this to the Church? I believe they would be all over it more than the Devils."

Rolan's scowl deepened as his tone shifted to one of strong aversion, "The second Oberon did craft Excalibur for Arthur Pendragon; however because Arthur's death was parallel with the transition of power between the second and third Oberon the remains of Excalibur fell into the hands of the Church. In good faith of my predecessor, I believed I should place my trust in the Church seeing as he never ordered the remains back into his possession.

"Several years back I had placed that trust in the Church. It ended in horrific failure. The problem wasn't the resources or the information I had provided them with. It was _them. _Now, I didn't just give them the blueprints to craft a new Excalibur, but I had left all the pieces for them to forge together. The beauty with Fae technology is that they could have made something completely different with the data, perhaps even something that surpassed the original Excalibur. I didn't give them pieces of a picture-puzzle; I gave them parts to build a grand architecture with only imagination as their limit in potential.

"Instead, they half-assed the project and were more worried about _who _would receive the weapon. They plotted and schemed against another over who would receive the glory of being the next King Arthur. Worst, there was a man who wanted the sword for himself but was not compatible. And so he subjected _children _to experimentation that showed the potential to wield holy weapons. He almost succeeded in making himself its wielder had I not shut down the project myself.

"The problem was I trusted an instrument of salvation to _humanity. _Humans have no interest in solving the problems of the world. Humans are only interested in their selves. It is why humans have _hundreds _of governments. It's why the Church has several different branches despite all believing in the same One God.

"The Church, King Odin, had their chance and shot it clear out of the water. I'm here to make sure it doesn't happen again. Which is why I am giving the offer to those _not _human. And _I _will be the one to decide to keeps the blade. I find it only fair the lone survivor of the Holy Sword Project should receive what is rightfully his."

"…You're talking about Yuuto Kiba," stated Sona.

Again, there was the look of someone looking down on her, questioning _her _intelligence. "So I am. It's why I am here. I heard news he was going to participate in the Rating Game. I am here to evaluate him to see if he is worthy of the final project."

"That is assuming the Yodaime Maou agree to your proposal, Oberon-sama," replied Serafall Leviathan with an accent of authority. "I assure you this will be thoroughly discussed once you make the official presentation at the meeting."

It was her way of saying, politely, to shut the hell up before others hear.

"All right," nodded Rolan. "Please send me the notification for when the meeting will take place. I think I will take my leave with that; I've yet to properly introduce myself to the Phenex participant and offer him my luck. It was good to see you again, Madam Leviathan. I wished we could talk a little bit more— without all this political nonsense, such as our hobbies like last time. King Odin, perhaps we had gotten off on the wrong foot. I do wish to establish a firm relationship with you. And so, I offer you to join me in my private viewing of the Rating Game tomorrow night."

"Hmm, I will consider it, brat. I'll consider it doubly if there's women and booze to go around," the olden god stroked his beard.

His escort, Rossweisse, did her best to hold back the sigh stuck in her throat.

"Madam Sitri," his blue and red eyes locked on to Sona's. "It was good meeting with you at last. Please give my regards to Hyoudou and offer him, Lady Gremory, and the remainder of her peerage my luck. Have a good evening, everyone."

Sona refused to say anything. She only nodded in respect for a political figure.

With nothing else, Rolan turned away and headed in search for Raizer Phenex.

"Perhaps that is the cue for us to depart as well," Odin muttered as his eyes traced over the general direction Rolan had moved towards. "With this new spot of information I have much to think about. Perhaps Asgard and the Underworld should exchange resources. Hmmm. Much to think of indeed. Then, I will be off. Good night, Lady Leviathan and Lady Sitri."

"Bye, bye, Odin-sama!" cheered Serafall. "Have fun at the game tomorrow~"

Sona gave a much more respectful bow than what she offered Rolan.

Odin turned and departed with his escort following close behind but not without her giving a departing bow as well.

"Sona-chan!"

…Leaving Sona alone with her dear sister.

Serafall puffed her cheeks out and placed her hands on his hips. "Why didn't you tell me you knew Obi-tan?!"

Sona withheld a sigh. She opened her mouth to reply—

But then Serafall gasped as her hands flew over her mouth and complexion paling. "D-D-Don't tell me Obi-tan s-s-s-s-stole Sona-chan's purity?!"

At that moment, Sona couldn't even form a single thought. The sheer idea of her and that _demon _having sexual intercourse shook her soul. It made her want to puke.

Serafall, however, took her moment of horror as a confirmation. "H-How dare that little _shrimp _take what rightfully belongs to Levi-tan! Sona-chan's purity belongs to _me! _I will storm through the mystic land of the Fae and hunt every last fairy down until Obi-tan returns what rightfully belongs to me!"

"It's _nothing _like that!" Sona shouted, not caring she was the center of attention again… or about how her _sister _would claim her virginity. However, given who she was arguing with, everyone went back to their previous conversations as this was the norm between the two sisters. "I happened to have talked to him because he was a contact with a friend of mine. I was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time…"

Sona massaged her brow. She couldn't have picked more accurate words.

Serafall took a deep breath of relaxing air. "That's good. Sona, are you okay though? You didn't seem like you were enjoying his company. I saw you smiling as you were dancing but… well… you never really show your emotions like that openly…"

There were times when Sona forgot that Serafall was a reliable older sister. On most cases she acted immature but only a select few knew it was nothing more than a mask— something Serafall designed herself to cope with the horrors she had seen in the civil war. But at times, only for Sona, she would let that mask slip to show a glance of her real self.

Only a glance. Anything further and it would be revealed that Serafall was as much of a monster as the Predator they had just chatted with.

"I'll be frank, Onee-sama, that man— no, that _thing _is as despicable as can possibly be. I cannot trust him, nor can I stand being in the same room as him. However I do so because I know _what _he is and fear the ramifications should I insult him. That monster has already ruined lives for reasons I can't fully understand, including that of a close friend. Though he is not the culprit, he was as much of a perpetrator in the murder of my former Pawn as the real one. He had his hand in it. And I believe the horrors aren't over just yet. He should be as far away from Rias' Pawn as possible. If Issei learns he is in the Underworld's territory of Japan… terrible things might happen."

Serafall listened intently without faltering in attention. She said nothing until the very end. "Sona, these are some serious accusations. Chase is a very good friend of mine. Of course he's a filthy bandwagon who favors **Dragon Knight Heroes **over my **Miracle****Levia-tan**, but we both love the same things. And as King Oberon he's helped the Devil society a lot in the past; we would still be a few years behind the humans if it weren't for him. You're my sister and I love you, but I am going to need evidence if I am to look into this. Do you have any?"

"…I do. However, not without giving away information that is not mine."

It was right now she was at a crossroads. Sona wasn't sure what to do. Should she reveal the truth of the matter to her sister and _hope _something will be done against Sixth Predator? Or should she keep the secret Issei entrusted her with? The former idea could halt Rolan's plans for some time, never truly stopping them, but at the cost of revealing Issei's identity to the Four Satans. The latter idea would permit Rolan to carry on unperturbed while Issei only having to worry about his duties as Rias' Pawn.

Second, she didn't know what her sister could do about it. At the least they could cut off all ties with the Fae, but that would have some damages to Devil society based on what Serafall had spoken about. In worst case scenario, Rolan would retaliate, a fight would escalate, and _perhaps _the Four Satans could stop him.

Issei had claimed he was the embodiment of the Welsh Dragon, Ddraig. Given that, every Predator stood on equal grounds in terms of might. And according to history, it took God, His Seraphim, the Governor and his Lieutenants of the Grigori, and the previous Satans to seal away the Welsh and Vanishing Dragons into Sacred Gears. Not kill, but seal away to deal with at a later date.

Which meant, in theory anyways, Chase Lance Rolan was just as impossible of a force as a Heavenly Dragon.

"…Okay, Sona, I believe you."

Sona blinked. "What was that?"

"Onee-san believes you," Serafall said with a small smile. "I know you would never lie about something like this and you're super smart; you wouldn't bring this up unless you were absolutely sure. Alright, I've decided. Without evidence there's not much I can do. But I will look into this and keep an eye on him. I'm hurt he would do such things. But don't worry! Your Onee-san will figure things out. Justice will prevail!"

"…That's the best I can ask for," Sona let out a breath of air she had been holding in, perhaps throughout the entire night. "Onee-sama, please be careful. He's very dangerous, and I'm not talking about him as King Oberon. I'm talking about… what he really is."

For a moment, Serafall tilted her head in confusion. But then, something lit in her eyes. And the mask she kept up slipped open just a little further. The doting sister was present, but it shared the face of a veteran of war— one who had bathed in blood of both friend and foe alike.

"Sona… I need you to answer me truthfully. Is Chase Rolan… and Issei Hyoudou… one of _them_?"

Them. Such a vague word could have meant anything. But, for some reason, Sona knew exactly what she was talking about. And she shouldn't have been surprised if her sister knew about their existences. She was one of the Four Satans, after all. Perhaps the information was deemed top-secret with only the Satans and possibly other Ultimate-class Devils knowing about it.

Serafall had lived a long time and had run into the world's most vicious monsters. Who was to say she had never run into a Predator herself?

"Come with me Sona. I need you to tell me everything. I promise, not just as Leviathan, but as your sister anything you share with me will be kept mum. But I need to know what it is I will be dealing with and if… and if Rias Gremory has gotten in over her head."

This was a side of her sister Sona had never seen before. A commander, one fitting her role with the title of Leviathan.

As swiftly but smoothly as possible, the two walked out of the hall to find a spare room to talk. Few paid them any mind as they offered excuses to spend time as siblings to those who approached them. Serafall gave a look to Sirzechs who had given her a look of concern across the hall. One look from her hardened eyes, eyes he had not seen in almost a century, told him everything he needed to know.

It told him there was going to be trouble in the near future. Back-breaking trouble.

On the other end of the hall, at the center of the dance floor once more, Sixth Predator Rolan danced with the younger sister and Bishop of Raizer Phenex, Ravel Phenex. Though they shared a calm conversation with another as they moved, Rolan's Predator instincts had been able to keep tabs on Sona and Serafall. He did not know what they were talking about, but only that they were talking about him.

His instincts were telling him something wrong would fall upon him from their discussion.

But he went back to his conversation with the young Devil. He needn't worry about the two at the moment.

Because, unseen and undetected by anyone, Fifth Predator Philips' Dusk Blade was following right behind them.

"Want nothing to do with Devils, my ass," muttered Rolan as he recalled the last conversation he shared with the Fifth. "…How the hell did he even get in here? Did he follow me?"

"What was that?" asked Ravel.

"Nothing, just calling a friend a hypocrite. Never mind it. Tell me, Ravel, what do you think about the Rating Game between your brother and Rias Gremory?"

*Scene*

"Welcome, King Odin!"

"Ohohohohohoho!"

A chorus of girls of every shape, size, age, and _color of the rainbow _greeted the two of them as soon as they walked into King Oberon's private viewing booth. No, really, every color of the rainbow. Some girls had natural hue colors found on the surface mundane world while some others had exotic colors of skin such as green, blue, and purple. Well— correcting herself— they greeted the old pervert, who in turn giggled like the deviant that he was.

Honestly, Rossweisse sighed, if only he would act his age or at least think about his position. He was the King of the Norse and as such he had to act accordingly.

Second, she couldn't believe King Oberon had gone along with the request… unless he was just as sexually perverse as her charge. But he didn't strike her that way, unless he had a much better method of hiding it. Regardless, he had followed through Odin's passing comment and blown everything out of proportion.

The girls were… definitely something. They were garmented in servant dresses with short frilly skirts and tight fitting tops to emphasize their womanly charms and heeled shoes and butterfly or flower pins in their hair. The way they moved was… graceful, probably the best definitive word Rossweisse could find for them. Every step they took was elegant as though they were hovering off the floor rather than walking. Their proportions were also _perfect. _Impossibly so. And their smiles were so radiant and filled with warmth she felt the need to cry as she was filled with love.

She felt so inferior as a woman before them. And she was one of the prettier ones among the Valkyrie…

These were not sprites, undines, sylphs, or any of the other elementals located in the spirit world, the Underworld, or even in the mystic realms. These were the original Fair Folk. Each and every one of them was pureblooded Fae with a lineage older than humanity itself. With powers rivaling some of the eldest of gods, secrets of the mystic arts that would have many sacrificing their firstborn children for a low-ranking spell, and authority over the laws of nature as they were the descendants of the Primordial lawmakers.

And dozens of these extraordinarily rare and endangered Fae were being used as _servants_.

Seated on a velvet chair with one Fae pouring him a glass of wine, King Oberon uncrossed his legs and stood to greet them. He did not smile, but there was something charming about his stern gaze. "Thank you King Odin for taking my offer. I hope the girls are to your liking and I hope you enjoy the drinks I've ordered. I have only two samples of ale— one from Sarras and the other from Avalon. I also have a small selection of fine wines from various families. I promise you'll not be disappointed with any of them."

Odin babbled like a madman with his head swerving left and right, trying to catch a glimpse at every Fae holding out a bottle of wine or a pint of ale. And their smiles, oh their smiles, they filled him with more warmth than any drink could.

He fell on his back and fainted.

"Oh my, King Odin!" the majority of the girls cried in alarm and rushed over to his aid.

Rossweisse was too busy massaging the bridge of her nose. She knew this trick well. Many a Valkyrie fell for this act back home and had learned quickly to the point where no one bothered to care if Odin truly fainted or not. The trick was… Odin would fall on his back, girls would rush to his side, and he would use the moment to look up their skirts. And given how short their attire was and how the Fae seemed to care little for modesty with the way they moved around, Odin was getting the best peep show in the world.

It was also then Rossweisse realized the flaw with these Fair Folk. They were perfect. Flawless. And that in itself was the problem. There was nothing _wrong _with them! And because there was nothing wrong with them there was also nothing _right. _

Case and point: their smiles. Filled with such love and affection, with such joy and zeal, their personalities didn't shift in the slightest despite being alarmed by Odin's charade. It was as if they were forever frozen in time, constantly locked in the state of a single emotion for all eternity. They could not get upset, they could not get angry, they could not cry— they would just remain _happy._

"Master Oberon, what shall we do?" one green-skinned Fae asked with a hand pressed to her cheek in worry… with a gleeful smile.

"He's fine," the only sour one, and possibly _sane, _sipped his wine. "He's only catching a glimpse of your underwear."

"It's no fun when you reveal that to them," huffed Odin in disappointment.

And yet— Rossweisse sighed again— he didn't get up from his spot and continued to look around.

Dismissively, as he swirled his wine with more interest in it than in his next words, King Oberon commanded, "Ladies, why don't you put on a show for him? A strip tease."

Rossweisse gasped, stupefied. Surely they wouldn't—

"Yes Master Oberon~" sang every girl in perfect sync. They glided away to the far end of the room and began to organize themselves in some sort of fashion only known to that of their kind.

—accept this… so… oh. They were okay with this. And they were… excited?

"Whohohohohohoho!" cackled Odin as two girls pulled him to one of the velvet chairs. Another hit a button on the wall; music began to play. Another button; the lights adjusted. Without hesitation, girl after girl lined up and moved forward, danced a little, pulled off small bits of clothing but never revealing anything, and moved to the back of the line. Despite it being nothing but teases every girl moved in their unique way to entice anyone who gazed upon them, including their Fae sisters and, admittedly, Rossweisse.

She shook her head. No! She mustn't fall into the dark side. She needed to find a hero with a stable career, marry him, and have a few offspring. She couldn't have children with another woman!

"While he's… distracted," King Oberon approached her and offered a glass of wine, "why don't we continue where we left off? I believe you said something about looking for a hero, Miss Valkyrie?"

She accepted the glass to be polite, but she couldn't possibly drink it. She had an elder god to babysit. It's not like she expected anything bad to happen, but she couldn't fully trust King Oberon. Something about him rubbed her the wrong way. She knew it wasn't fair to judge him based on first impressions, and she had judged him before he had shared a word, but it was her intuition that was telling her otherwise. And her intuition had never been wrong before.

So, she kept an eye on each of the Fae girls as she struck a few words with the High King of the Fair Folk. "That's a delicate subject that I wish to not talk about, if you don't mind."

"Really? Shame," he shrugged and turned his attention away from her. He began to pace back to his original seat when he concluded with, "And I had the perfect hero who would accept you no matter what kind of person you were."

Her hand lashed onto his shoulder and gripped tightly at those words. Those words should not be shared with someone like her. Those words must _never _be spoken unless they were true.

"…Is something the matter?" he turned his head around just enough to see her within his peripheral vision. The look of disinterest was still expressed.

"A-A hero? A real, genuine hero? And not one of your Fair Folk?" she asked with an edge in her voice. Suddenly she realized who she was talking to and released her grip. "Ah! P-Please forgive me. I don't know what got over me…"

Another Fae appeared at his side and straightened out the wrinkles she made in his suit before vanishing to return to her spot in the line of Odin's tease show.

She realized these Fair Folk weren't just perfect, they were _perfectionists. _From their movements, to their expressions, to their charms, to their physique, and even to how their king was presented. Come to think about it, as Rossweisse realized, there wasn't a single speck of dust within the entire room. It was immaculately clean to the point where she could see her reflection on the carpet. _The_ _carpet!_

Oberon waved his hand in dismissal. "Well let me confirm something. At the moment, who is the most sought-after hero in the listings according to the Valkyries?"

She needn't a moment to answer, "The Red Blur— I mean, the Red Dragon Emperor."

Though he continued to scowl, there was something akin to amusement in the way his brows softened, "And why is that?"

"Because he is a hero of justice!" she answered with a little too much excitement. But she didn't reel back. And Oberon stood there with the same expression, so she took it as a sign to continue with as much gusto. "He travels the world, battles monsters of legend, saves people, stops villains, halts wars, and he does all this with as little bloodshed as possible! It's known the Boosted Gear contains the soul of the Welsh Dragon Ddraig and it has been confirmed the Red Blur is this generation's Red Dragon Emperor. But unlike his predecessors who were only interested in power, the Red Blur uses his Sacred Gear for selfless needs! For the good of others! No truer hero exists in the modern age— and few that dare to call themselves heroes in the time of legends can match his grandeur today."

She could have sworn he smiled. But when she blinked there was no such thing. His… amused scowl, as best she could put it, was still present.

"Well, that's good then," he nodded. "I've known about such a hero befitting your criteria for about three years now. How would you like to meet him?"

Rossweisse straightened herself and looked serious. "Good King Oberon, please do not joke about such matters. There isn't a hero alive who can possibly come close to the Red Blur's description."

"I don't like to be called a liar, _Valkyrie._"

His eyes had hardened and a dense miasma of killing intent radiated from his being. Rossweisse had to take a step back out of instinct and steady herself. "F-Forgive me. I did not mean to insult you, Your Majesty."

He closed his eyes and waved his hand in dismissal again. "Whatever. Let's move along. What would you say if I did know such a hero and could point you in the right direction?"

She answered carefully, "I would like to know who this hero is first. A name at the least."

He nodded in understanding and replied, "Issei Hyoudou. Or Hyoudou Issei with his natural customs, whichever you choose to address him as."

"T-The Pawn of Rias Gremory?" she asked out of disbelief before realizing her tone was rude. "I mean— If I may ask, King Oberon, how does… that is to say… this boy…"

"Hyoudou is just as valiant of a hero as one can ever expect. No, I would say he's _better. _And I believe the results of tonight's Rating Game will be proof enough. I've also the feeling we will see for ourselves what makes him on par with the _Red Blur_."

"…Surely you don't mean he is the White Chaser?" Rossweisse inquired, using the nickname of that atrocious anime for the White Dragon Emperor instead.

King Oberon blinked and thought about her question. He looked away in thought as though trying to figure something out. "Ah. I can see why you would think that. Hmph. I'm losing my touch if I can't speak cryptically. Just watch tonight's match and you'll see for yourself. I might be mistaken but didn't Odin say he might ask the Gremory peerage to be his escorts? Perhaps if you like what you see you can use the moment to snatch him away."

"If he is as true of a hero as you say," Rossweisse said once more in a careful tone while fiddling with the untouched drink in her hand. Personally, she didn't like this complete stranger playing match-maker with her, but she couldn't be rude to him all the same.

"Girls, I believe that is enough. It is almost time for the match to start."

"Awwwwwwwww," pouted all the girls (and Odin) yet with their cheerful and peppy smiles. As if pouting was a fun-filled task. "Yes Master Oberon!"

They scattered throughout the room, taking up stations. Some went to preparing pleasantries such as more wine and light snacks. Others sat behind desks with touch panel controls for the monitor. And the remaining few stood to the side for the solemn use of looking good.

King Oberon said nothing as he moved through the room to take the seat beside Odin. The old man huffed, reached out for an offered pint of ale, and gulped it down in one swig. He grumbled unhappily under his breath like some overgrown child.

Rossweisse, standing at attention behind him, pondered whether she should smack him with the fan or not.

Because the Rating Game was stationed in a sub-dimension, those attending as spectators were given a room with large screens to watch the game. Some of the public rooms Low and Middle-class Devils could afford were given screens with some controls to switch perspectives between two of the families battling or both simultaneously. But in a room like this, where the high-end individuals could expunge their finances, the entire back wall was a large monitor that viewed _everything _on the field. Typically, the staff that worked the arena would provide their own crew to work the monitors. In this case, King Oberon provided his own as five Fae girls were working in sync to put up various windows ready to stream the live feed.

"So, boy, shall we get on straight to business?" asked Odin as he took another swig of ale and replaced it immediately after.

It was then the voice of the moderator of the game, Grayfia Lucifuge, began the thorough explanation of the rules, the base of operations, and how victory can be achieved. The live feed activated with two of the screens capturing the Gremory and Phenex peerages respectively. However, no one in the viewing room paid attention to this.

"I agree," said Oberon. His tone… _shifted. _Rossweisse wasn't sure how, but there was something different in his voice. His acoustics were the same, the tone, the expression, and his accent. But _something _changed. She wasn't sure what it was, but it made her reach for the sword at her hip.

"I know who you are," said Odin. And as it was with Oberon, so too did Odin's voice _shift. _She quickly came to realize what it was. Power. Authority. _Presence. _Two kings of unfathomable measure were expressing their magnificence, exuding their auras of dominance.

Suddenly, Rossweisse felt like she didn't belong.

She wasn't the only one. Though they kept their smiles as bright as the sun, the girls began to change their footing uncomfortably. They too wanted to leave the room as they felt like invaders within their presence.

"I know who you are as well," replied Oberon as he took a calm sip of his wine. "A Primordial being born before the age of humanity, in the time when the world was nothing more than a heap of magma and darkness. You are not the [False] Odin created by humanity. You are not this world's Odin. You are the [True] Odin who has made this world your home."

"And you are a whelp holding on to a dying dream," stated Odin. "_We _all know who you are and the crime you committed, of the near infinite souls you've destroyed. You are the boy who cursed the sun, who betrayed his love, and brought about the end of existence. The one who chose the Abyss over the Originals. You are Sir Rolan the Black Sun, slayer of the Sun King."

It was deafly quiet as they sat together in silence. But there was something in the air that made Rossweisse frozen in place. Tension, she might want to call it. That, and something else. Something dreadful.

"You are holding on to this 'dying dream' as much as I am," Oberon began after a moment. "Playing the part of King of the Norse, following lesser beings' rules, going along with everything despite knowing the truth… You know, I almost lost myself when you told me she was a Valkyrie—"

He made a gesture towards Rossweisse.

"But then come to my relief after a quick glance I see she's not a [True] Valkyrie. I _really _hate this world sometimes. Devils aren't Devils. Angels aren't Angels. And _apparently _Devils and Fallen aren't one in the same. And, fuck, Heaven's Seraphim have _twice _as many wings as a [True] Seraph yet suck five times as hard. Sometimes I think the Ruler deserves to be shot in the fucking face for missing details like that. Then again, the eight of us wouldn't be what we are if _those _[True] versions decided to take up permanent residence here."

Rossweisse was deeply confused about what he was talking about. She was _pretty _sure she was a real Valkyrie.

"And the Fae of this world are just… weird," Oberon continued with his rant. "I mean, have you ever seen an Undine in this world? Fucking beasts with muscles as large as my whole body. [True] water spirits look _nothing _like that! I had to make a phone call to the mystic realm to request these girls."

Odin steadily drank his ale as he listened. Halfway done, he lowered it and spoke, "I agree some of the things are… different. But it's also a welcoming change of pace. Take the Devils and Fallen for example. Neither of them have grotesque forms and… yeesh, _tentacles. _Instead they are all gorgeous beings… well, most of them anyways.

"But particularly the ladies of the Grigori! They all Fell from Heaven because they enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh! And they took the forms to best suit their desires. Now the Devil succubae have mastered the art of seduction, but there are far too few of them. Whereas the Grigori girls are exceptionally gifted in every field of seduction and come in quite the selection. Guohohoho!"

Rossweisse didn't understand what was going on any further. These two… There was still that feeling of oppressive force weighing down on her. And yet they were talking about… Like they were old friends…

"That's what I like about you Primordial beings," Oberon said with a lighter expression. "Gods created by humanity tend to either be perfect or exaggerated. Flawless in their actions yet nothing more than painted faces over flat surfaces. _Real_ gods, like yourself, are just as flawed as humanity without their idiocy. The Odin of my world wouldn't have stooped so low to kindergarten tactics to peep at a girl's undergarments."

"Hmph," Odin looked down on the shorter male with disapproval. "One cannot fully enjoy their godhood without a little mischief. The sticklers in Asgard don't agree with me, but they're not in the same rank as me. Sure, some of them have been around since the beginning of the world, but I'm _far _older than them. I've seen the beginning of _everything. _But they're gods who rely on the prayers of the humans. They don't know any better. Take that brat Loki for instance. He's been a thorn in my side since I wanted to make dealings with the other pantheons."

By this point, a small number of Raizer Phenex's Pieces have been removed from the game. On the screen displayed the images of his remaining Pieces mobilizing to defend the front of the new building and another window viewed the battle between both peerages' Queens.

While Rossweisse had listened to the two kings talk about… things she couldn't possibly understand, her attention drifted to and fro regarding the Gremory Pawn. Hyoudou Issei was, according to his profile Sirzechs Lucifer provided anyways, a normal human being before becoming a Devil. It was claimed he possessed a Sacred Gear but the specifics were kept hidden by his master, Rias Gremory. He also had the most unimpressive records in terms of academics; he was just one step away from being a deviant with his streak of truancy. Only his decently high marks in tests and exams kept him in place.

She saw his intelligence shine whenever he gave out orders. He never embarrassed his master, rather whenever she gave out orders of her own he gave suggestions to improve their efficiency. If Rias Gremory was the leader who united everyone together, Hyoudou Issei was the strategist whose job was to make sure they all lived through the end.

"Things aren't ever as simple as they should be," replied Oberon. "The eight of us have just as annoying of a thorn. The problem is they found a way to hide from our detection system. That, and they have an Ultimate-class Primordial being as their leader. But I believe with the eight of us we can deal with Ophis… probably. Right now we only need to worry about finding where they reside."

A brow of interest was raised by Odin. "Ah, _them. _I feel as though I will one day be drawn into their shenanigans soon enough. I've kept my eye on them for some time because of this. So now we get to the crux of our business. What if, say, brat, I had information you might need? What might you offer in exchange?"

"That depends," Oberon's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Can I have your word the girl will keep silent about everything within this room?"

Rossweisse kept silent. She didn't like the idea of these backdoor dealings with other high-ranking political figureheads, but understood the necessity of it at times. No system lasts without its loopholes and dirt under the rug. But she was sworn to be Odin's bodyguard and understood her place when taking up on the job. She was nothing more than a tool, no better than furniture during times like now. Her place was on the battlefield and only there.

"You have my word," Odin muttered with a sour look. "Now, what do you have in mind?"

"I kill Loki," Oberon shrugged as though the answer were so simple. "I could either take the blame as King Oberon, have him assassinated without any trace of his killer, could have him start a coup while manipulating the situation enough for you to strike him down and become a hero… So on and so forth. However which way you want it to be done would be up to you. Regardless, I can remove him."

Odin stroked his beard as he thought for a moment. "I have thought about your proposal for the Holy Sword Project. I believe I will join you and offer my resources. I will send dwarves as well as the finest of metals, but I will not reveal the secrets of any magic that's not known by anyone outside of Asgard. However, Loki will protest, as he is already about the negotiations with the Shinto. I've no doubt he will be planning something."

"…If you do acquire the Gremory peerage as your escort, then there wouldn't be a problem," replied Oberon with his scowl deepening. "They would be more than capable of dealing with Loki. With him defeated, I believe this would strengthen your bond with the Devils and open for deeper negotiations and pacts. As I see it, you wouldn't need me in the slightest."

"Not very good with negotiations, are you?" Odin asked before taking another swig of ale.

"I'm decent at them," Oberon replied dryly. "I wouldn't have lasted long in my position otherwise. I'm merely questioning why you would have suggested an offer in the first place if you already had a solution. The Devils deal with Loki, you can make pacts with them, and therefore indirectly you have favors with the Fae through the Holy Sword Project."

"That's assuming the Holy Sword Project gets approval," retorted Odin. "You've still much to learn, boy. What will you do should they refuse?"

"One way or another I will have Kiba Yuuto the next wielder of Excalibur, even if I have to shove the blade down his throat," Oberon stated his intentions without hesitation. "I don't care if they approve or not. Having negotiations with the Devils will only give me an easier opportunity to give it to him. And if they refuse it'll only change the method he will inherit it.

"But I believe we are straying from the subject. Rather than asking what it is that I can offer you, let me ask you what it is you want from me."

Odin stared into his refilled drink. "The Angels and their Fallen will be my enemy now that I have sided with the Devils, no matter for how small of a reason. It will be problematic. What can you do about them?"

The battle against the Queen had come to a conclusion with the Gremory's Queen the victor. On another screen showed a small skirmish between the two Kings, Rias and Raizer. And on a third showed the battle royale in the courtyard. It was impressive only two of the Gremory Pieces, the Knight and Rook, were able to keep up with the overwhelming numbers of the remainder of the Phenex peerage.

"I can… deal with the side of Heaven at the least," Oberon said with a sneer. "I will make arrangements with the Church once more. Therefore, should you make a pact with the Devils while you and I work together on the Holy Sword Project then the Church will have no choice but to back off. If not temporarily. However, that is only for the price of the information you hold. But I believe a man of your stature can find a way to deal with the Fallen on your own."

Odin nodded, "That is sufficient. Very well. You are aware Hades is present in these games, correct? But the reason behind it is being kept silent. I've heard there was an uproar in the Realm of the Dead some time ago; something big enough for Hades to deploy his Reapers as far as he can reach. Rumor has it he is seeking permission to send Reapers into the Devil territory of Japan— that there was something of a breakout in the Underworld and a soul escaped to the surface."

"Cute," Oberon muttered blandly. "But that doesn't give me anything regarding the Brigade. As far as I've checked Hades has no dealings with any of their factions. For him to be here at the Rating Game… does he have something to do with the Old Satan faction?"

"Who knows?" Odin shrugged as he took another drink. "However, what I do know is that Hades has been talking a lot lately. And not just to the Devils. I heard he sent his right hand, Pluto, to the Hindu Pantheon."

"…I see now. Thank you for the information," Oberon said as he sipped his wine.

It was then his eyes sharpened to the screen. Though he had always kept his eyes on the game, this would be the first time he had given it his undivided attention.

In one of the corners was a window that had constantly kept an eye on the Gremory Pawn. At the moment, he was outside the base of the Gremory side and standing beside the second Bishop of Phenex. His eyes were fixated on open space, staring into the direction the metaphysical camera.

Rossweisse kept a hand on the hilt of her sword. There was a great unease by the glare of that look. It was as though the Pawn could see through the screen and stare at them.

As if it were true, Oberon gave the smallest of nods and a gesture with his hand as one would acknowledge the presence of another.

_As if it were true, _the Gremory Pawn's scowl deepened and looked away.

Rossweisse… wasn't sure what had just happened.

Seeing Oberon's intense stare at the screen, Odin cut off the conversation and decided to watch the conclusion of the match.

The next few short minutes were something Rossweisse will never forget. The world will never forget. She, as well as the countless others watching and streaming the game, saw the Gremory Pawn finally enter the battlefield. The way he walked showed the presence of a hardened warrior, one who would shoulder his comrades on his back, who would defend his home even at the cost of his life, who would never betray his beliefs or those he swore to protect.

The stance and presence of a hero.

She saw him change. From a humanly figure changed into one of the oldest of legends, befitting of a time when Dragons walked the planet in their true forms— in the skin of Man. Hyoudou Issei had revealed himself to be such a person; to wield all the destructive power of a Dragon in the ever adaptable shell of a human. His physical form was of little note when compared to his sheer magnificence. Through the window of the screen, Rossweisse knew she was looking at something beyond words, something as wondrous as the legends she grew up listening to as a child made real.

Then, he _moved._

The camera simply lost him as his body flickered out of sight. But when he moved, he took out two Pieces with him. And in a split second after, he took out a third _in the opposite side of the field! _The fourth Piece was sent flying, crashing through trees, and shattered through multiple layers of the unforgivingly sturdy school building.

**"Balance Breaker!" **Rosseweisse heard a voice that made her shiver. A voice filled to the brim with _power. _A voice that spoke to the world itself and nature obeyed his command.

Then, a red streak shot through the air that made her eyes widen. A r_ed _streak that had been recorded countless times on the human news casting all over the world within the past three years. It arced over their heads, reaching the peak limit permitted within the arena, and shot back down to the ground like a meteor.

Raizer Phenex had come to the same conclusions as she— it showed on his face half a second before the Pawn tackled him and brought the entire building upon impact.

In the next blink, he was flying once more in the air. In each arm carried his King and the Bishop. It was the first moment thus far where he was still— where everyone watching the match could get a clear look of his pristine red armor and those _beautiful _draconian wings.

"B-Bu— T-Tha— W-Wha—?!" Rossweisse lost the motor functions to form words.

No matter how she looked at it, Hyoudou Issei was, without a single doubt of her mind, the wielder of the Boosted Gear.

The greatest hero in the modern world, the Red Blur.

"Hoh…?" Odin mused with a smirk as he slowly downed his drink. "Those wings are… the Gift of Flight of the Dra'cueri? So that means Ddraig is… I wonder if that brat Sirzechs knew about this…"

King Oberon said nothing. He merely crossed his legs and handed his half-empty glass to the Fae who appeared at his side as though sensing his desire.

The screen lit up in red as Hyoudou Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor, decimated the remainder of the school building with a crimson orb that was fired from his hand and had exploded. Raizer Phenex had scantly survived in time and was taking flight to get as much distance as possible. And the Red Blur watched, his head moving slightly only to keep Raizer within his sights.

In a blink he was gone and Raizer was suddenly forced to change trajectory— No! The Red Blur had appeared directly behind him, grabbed onto his leg, and swung him around. The momentum was too great a strain on his body and the leg was severed from the body. Raizer didn't change his flight pattern; he was simply thrown around.

Still, Raizer continued to try and get away. He stumbled as soon as the Red Blur appeared a few steps away from him. Frantically, he began to crawl as he was unable to get back up. And Hyoudou Issei took his time approaching him, with each metal-clad foot clacking against the floor; each step becoming louder than thunder.

**"There is nowhere you can run."**

Rossweisse couldn't help but take a step back. She was not on that battlefield and yet she could _feel _the pressure of murderous intent drooling out of his mouth. His voice vibrated _everything. _It was not coming through the speakers. It was invading her mind.

**"There is nowhere you can hide. Wherever you flee, I will find you. I will always find you. I shall always know where you are."**

She didn't know she had been backtracking the entire time until her back hit the wall. The voice, such a gruesome, murderous, wrathful voice invading her mind. No matter how hard she covered her ears the voice would still be heard. And by its intent she could feel it talking directly onto her. She was the one he was addressing. He will find her. He will always be able to. There is nothing she can do about it.

She was not the only one who believed this. Around the room, every Fae was quivering where they were stationed. Whatever they were holding were dropped. Some sank to their knees, some embraced another, some relieved themselves where they resided.

Every one of them stopped smiling.

**"Let me show you what awaits those who try to harm those I love. Let me show you the beast you must face for disturbing my master."**

Gone was the hero. What replaced him was the monster.

No, Rossweisse realized, the monster _was _always the hero. The hero, an icon, was nothing more than an idol to fool the public. For it was always the monster that wore the armor. It was the monster who battled evil. For who was better to defeat monsters than one of their own?

And then, as tears fell down her eyes, it _screamed._

A scream that should not have been heard. Words could never describe it. She hated every part of it. How the sound of it was eating away at her soul and tainting it. A shriek so _wrong _it forced her onto her knees and grabbing at her hair. Maddening, simply maddening. She couldn't take it!

She did not know when it stopped. It might have been only an instant or it could have gone on for the remainder of eternity. The phantom pain and the memory alone was causing her just as much pain as the originator.

Whatever the case, she d_efinitely _heard the next part. It was what brought her back to reality.

**"Do you know who I am?"**

By the gods and heroes of Valhalla how she wanted to puke right there. Her mind couldn't take it any longer. From a radiant hero, he became a monster— an abomination. And from the monster, he became something all beings feared no matter who or what they were. The natural enemy of all no matter how grand and mighty they might be. For it was something all fell against.

**Death**.

He had become **Death**.

**"I am Eighth Predator, the Dragoon!"**

Rossweisse felt it stir within her. Fear, pure unadulterated fear in the most raw and primal in nature. Hyoudou Issei was her natural enemy as an existence. And if she were to come near him then she will perish. She will die.

And there would be nothing she could do about it.

She heard an announcement. Something regarding the game. She couldn't understand what it was though. Her world was just shaken.

"We… might have overdone it," muttered King Oberon.

Rossweisse was able to regain her senses. That overwhelming aura had vanished. But it didn't mean she was unharmed. Something within her broke. When she stood, she used the wall for support with an arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She had cried, and the tears continued to fall. Her dress was in ruins— at some point she _did _puke but unable to recall at what point.

At least she didn't soil herself like how some of the Fae had.

"I believe… things are going to get a lot worse from here on out," finished Oberon.

She realized the only ones unaffected by… _that _were King Oberon and her charge Odin.

Odin had a look that spoke of his years. Gone was the fool and now resided the god of war. "Indeed. I always knew you defenders were more like children throwing a tantrum when not working. Tell me, who was the one who angered him this much?"

"…That would be the remaining seven," replied Oberon. His expression had changed as well. His scowl had deepened enough to crinkle his brows. He looked to be a man years beyond his young appearance. "We needed him to man-up. We succeeded and _this _was the end result."

"Was it worth it?"

"Sadly, there's no answer to that question," Oberon shrugged. "It brought him up to par with us. There are eight of us… and it still isn't enough."

Rossweisse had stopped listening at some point. Her throat was dry and the taste of bile was burning. Not caring for what it was, she grabbed the uncorked bottle of wine a Fae had dropped and drank to her heart's content.

She never was very good at holding her liquor. Her tolerance was abyssal _at best. _As soon as the red liquid touched her tongue, its wonders worked its magic. Combined with almost two-thirds of a full bottle, the level of alcohol she consumed was overwhelming.

But welcomed.

Not fully done with a few more gulps to go, her body swayed, she lost her balance, and Rossweisse fell flat on her face.

*Scene*

Seriously, Issei could devour an entire cow at the moment. Even by doing virtually _nothing _in his ultimate form consumed energy. Well, he did just channel the infinite energies of the cosmic plates through his body. Opening and closing those 'gates' were as simple as breathing but he knew exactly how much power was required for such a task. Yes, it was as easy as hitting a switch like turning on the lights, but there was _a lot _of mechanics behind it. He knew all the information, but perhaps if he was at least as intelligent as Sona he could understand all that jumbo.

Juggernaut Drive was a lot more complicated than he gave it credit for.

They were teleported back into the clubroom in the human world. It was two thirty-seven in the morning.

"Issei-kun, man, am I _glad _you're on our side," Yuuto gave the draconian Devil a congratulatory pat on the back and a smile.

"Ise-sama was… impressive," Koneko gave her compliment in her usual calm tone, but it wasn't missed by anyone how she was standing so close to him.

Issei looked away and scratched his cheek. A tint of red began to spread across his face. He can stand in front of millions of viewers and do what was necessary… but he crumbled before a few compliments.

"Ise…"

He turned his head only to have Akeno _super _close to him. Their noses were practically touching but her breasts were pressed up against his side. Her face was flushed and her breathing was heavy. There was a glazed look in her eyes.

Before he could so much as get away, her hands latched on to his padding in a grip that would never dare to let go. "Take me. _Now. _I don't care if they're watching."

She pushed herself against him as she pulled him forward. Their lips locked as her tongue forced his mouth open.

Issei threw his arms around in the air as though he were drowning. He had _no _idea how to react to such an advancement. Caught unprepared, he tried to get away which only resulted in Akeno pushing further. The result had them falling over with her landing on top of him.

And she continued without pause.

"A-A-Akeno-san!" whined Asia. "T-That's no fair! Ise is mine! You can't steal him from me!"

Yuuto gave a small chuckle while Koneko puffed her cheeks in irritation.

Akeno stopped just enough to look up at Asia. A dainty hand cupped her cheek as she answered innocently, "Ara ara, Asia-chan. I'm only borrowing him. I'll give him back when I'm done—"

"Akeno, Issei's passed out," Rias said bluntly.

Everyone looked. True to her words, Issei had stopped moving some time ago and no one but her had noticed. His eyes were staring into open space as he had his trademark perverse grin. There was a heavy sum of blood trailing down his nose. The blood loss combined with his earlier fatigue let him slip away.

Akeno huffed a pout of disappointment and got off of him. Asia, as usual, panicked and went immediately to his side. Her Twilight Healing activated with her hands hovering above his face. His eyes blinked as he was brought back to consciousness. Twilight Healing could never replenish the nourishment that was blood, but it could at least remove some of the fatigue his body had built up from exerting his heavenly powers. Food and sleep were what he needed the most right now.

There was a knock at the door before it opened. Coming directly from the student council office was Sona and her Queen, Tsubaki. The vice-president's complexion was notably pale, almost ghastly so. Her eyes immediately shot towards Issei; her steps faltered in rhythm before continuing forward. It would have been missed had no one been paying attention to her.

Luckily for her, most eyes were upon Sona. The King of the Sitri peerage adjusted her glasses when she spotted Issei on the floor. A curious brow was raised but then shot back down immediately after. As usual, Sona was nothing but professionalism personified.

"Rias, I would like to congratulate you on your victory," she began.

Rias tilted her head at the formal tone but went along with it. "Sona. Thank you very much. Now to what do I owe you the pleasure?"

"I believe there are some things we all need to discuss now that the game is over. More so now that _Hyoudou _had gone and done _that _at the end."

Her face was as immaculate and unmoving as always, but the tone in her words burned deeper than acid. She _really _was pissed at Issei and didn't care to hide it.

Issei, now fully conscious and aware of his surroundings, began to waver in fortitude. Cold sweat broke the surface of his skin. "S-Sona. Please don't give me a lecture."

For one deemed Ultimate Killer… his voice cracked and sounded like a small child's.

Her eyes shifted towards him. He could have sworn something sinister shimmered at that look. Twice so as a dark light reflected off the lenses when she adjusted her glasses once more.

Tsubaki was able to stand a little straighter, seeing her King put such pressure upon a being of unfathomable measure. She had nearly lost her mind when Issei openly announced himself as a Predator. Fortunately, the intentions behind such forewarning weren't directed at her, but to the general populace who would dare to try and get at him or his friends. She might not have been considered a friend, but she wasn't particularly an enemy either. She also didn't dare to imagine how Issei's enemies would have felt after watching that.

"Anything my adorable Pawn has done falls upon my responsibility, Sona," Rias stated as she leaned against the edge of her desk. Sona might care everything about formalities, but Rias wasn't anywhere near as stiff. She chose to address her friend in a casual manner. "Yes, I also recall you mentioning something about a few members of other religions being in the audience. But don't you think this can wait until the morning?"

"B-B-Buchou~" cried Issei as a waterfall of tears fell down his eyes. Once again his most beautiful master saved his skin from the most atrocious Sona and her horrible _lectures._

Sona suddenly felt the need to be upset as though someone had just insulted her (Issei). But she had no reason to act this way and so shoved the emotion away. "…Yes, you are right. It is late and you must be tired. We can continue this conversation when you are replenished. But please do not take too long; this is a matter that can't be ignored and must be addressed as soon as possible."

"Of course, Sona," Rias gave her friend a grateful smile. "Thank you for the congratulations. I'll send word once everyone's recuperated enough. Have a good night."

"To you as well. Everyone. Congratulations and have a pleasant evening. Come, Tsubaki."

With nothing else needed to say, Sona left with her loyal Queen.

Rias gave a tired sigh as she rolled her shoulders, trying to work the kink out. She had felt stressed ever since before the game started and now that it's finally over her muscles were sore. Nothing a good soak in the tub couldn't fix. "Everyone, sorry to say but we're going to hold off on the celebrations until later. For now, go home and get some rest. You all deserve it. I'm proud of each and every one of you. We got a perfect victory!"

They cheered, gave compliments and commentaries to another on their performances, and began to thin out. Yuuto was the first to leave, followed by Koneko. Akeno left after being told by Rias to go first, but not after giving Issei a good look and a gluttonous lick of her lips.

Issei shivered.

"Asia would you mind going home first?" Rias asked when the Bishop and Pawn couple were about to leave. "I would like to borrow Issei for a little bit. Can I have him?"

Asia was unsure and looked between her and Issei. "Um… Sure? I don't mind going home first but… is there something wrong, Buchou?"

Rias waved it off, "No, nothing is wrong at all. I just need Issei for a… well for a while anyways. Please, Asia? It's very important that I have this with him."

Asia tilted her head in thought. Her eyes flickered once more between Rias and Issei. This time, understanding filled her eyes as she now knew what Rias wanted from Issei. An expression of worry crossed her face before giving Issei a long look. When he returned with a smile, albeit a weak and unsure one, she smiled back and came to an answer.

"Of course. I understand. Buchou is… special to Ise as well…"

Her head bowed, but her smile remained. Her eyes looked up at Issei and blushed as she was rather embarrassed to ask her next words. "I-Ise… you… you still love me… right?"

"What? Yes! Of course Asia! I will always love Asia!" What started out as bewilderment became a small outburst as if he was trying to argue against the very laws of nature itself. Hyoudou Issei loved Asia Argento, this was a simple fact that no one could disprove.

Asia's smile grew bright enough to enlighten the room. "Buchou, I'm fine then. So long as Issei loves me… I'm okay with this. I will head home then. Good night, Buchou. Good night, Ise."

Usually, Issei and Asia traveled together by road. This was because Issei could not produce enough demonic energy to be able to use the magic circle to teleport out. Asia had tried once to support them both in teleportation with her vast reserves as a Bishop, but the result ended in failure. However, since she didn't have to travel with Issei this time, Asia was free to use the clubroom's circle to transport herself home.

Clutching the key Issei gave her close to her heart, she thought of home and was swept away in scarlet light.

All that remained was Rias and her Pawn.

Issei didn't sense anything was disturbing his master. She was relieved as the weight of the Rating Game was taken off. So he couldn't imagine what was going on that would warrant them to be alone together.

Not to mention the girl talk she just had with Asia _completely _blew over his head.

"Is everything okay, Buchou?" he asked anyways.

She offered him a lovely smile— a smile he had not seen since the first few days they had met. When there was nothing they had to worry about except the next contract to be fulfilled. A time when things were simple. There were no Predators, no monsters, no family problems— nothing but high school antics and club activities.

A normal life… or as normal as can be when one becomes a Devil.

Nevertheless, he had missed that smile. A smile he had loved since before becoming a Devil. He had dreamed several times that one day the Rias Gremory would look at him passing down the hall and give him _this _smile. And here it was.

"Come with me, Ise," she walked by him but before taking his hand and pulling him out of the clubroom.

He obeyed without question and followed close behind. She never let go of his hand. It was warm and he could feel her heartbeat heighten at the touch. They moved down the hallways and into one of the spare rooms at the end. A bedroom. Her heart began to beat faster as her palm began to clam up in sweat.

She was nervous. But… joyful?

"Why don't you…" Rias looked at him but then quickly looked away in haste. "T-Take off that armor? You won't need it."

His Predator instincts were telling him of all the potentials she possessed to harm him. But he forced them back. This was his master. He trusted her with his life. He swore an oath and he will always see it done until the day he died. Without hesitation and without questioning her intentions, he moved over towards the dresser and began to unstrap his padding and leathers.

…He realized Yuuto had his jacket still. No. He didn't see the damn handsome with it. Did… did that mean his jacket was still in the Rating Game arena? In the little pocket dimension Issei _crumbled?! _Did that mean that three million yen reinforced combat jacket was lost forever in parts-unknown?!

Issei gave a mental goodbye to an old friend as he set the remainder of his gear on the dresser, leaving him in nothing but his skin-tight undershirt and cargo pants.

When he turned around he found his master had stripped down into her undergarments. There were no lights but his Devil vision enhanced the rays of the moonlight seeping through the curtains. Rias' pearly skin shone immaculately in its silver rays. Her pale skin was complimented well with the black and red lacy underwear.

"B-B-Buchou?!" Issei had seen her naked a few times. He had stolen a peep of her when she was showering in the clubroom here and there, sometimes reporting for duty before the required hours for just the occasion. And _never _did her beauty get boring. Her figure was always perfect and he could always get hypnotized with her proportions.

She was shy, not looking directly at him with a slight tint of red in her cheeks and arms covering her chest. But her eyes moved over towards him and locked on with his body. Fascination flashed through her eyes as her sapphire orbs traced the contours of his torso.

Issei felt the need to cover himself. He suddenly understood what it meant whenever he looked at a girl this way. He understood their pain… but it won't stop him from continuing. He understood what they went through, and that's it.

She moved closer until she was within his space. He couldn't move away else tear a hole through the wall with his ridiculous strength. He could already hear the wood of the dresser groaning from his pressure. There probably was a dent from how his hands were gripping at its edge. He had no idea what has gotten over his master.

Deep in her fascination, she moved a slender finger to his abdomen. The sight of useful muscle, with each one having its purpose and to never be wasted away, was far more enticing than those who wasted hours simply building it up through pointless training. Issei had gained this body through sheer combat, constantly throwing himself into the fires of war and coming back just a little more powerful.

"You always wear such baggy clothing," she began in a quiet voice. "Your uniform is always a size too big and you have that thick long sleeve shirt underneath, even though its summer. It's the same during PE; you always wear those pants, a baggy shirt, and again the long sleeve. No one ever gets to see how strong you really are…"

Her finger moved up from his abdomen, over his pecks, and finally to his cheek. She cupped it with tender care and raised her other hand to match the other side. Without her previous timidity, she looked directly into his eyes. "Ise, I want to thank you. For everything. Without you, we would have lost. I've wronged you. I took advantage of your pain for my own selfish needs. You should hate me but you kept your word.

"So, please, let me give you my thanks. A rightful one as your master. No, as Rias Gremory to Issei Hyoudou…"

She stepped forward and pressed her lips against his. He didn't back away. He accepted her silken lips. His hands moved away from the dresser and moved to her hips.

Too soon for either of them, with a look of desire upon them both, she pulled away but kept her hands close to his face. "That was my first kiss," she whispered softly before going in for a second.

There was more passion in this kiss. She pressed herself close against him. His arms wrapped around her back. They were together, with no space between them as though the tiniest hole needed to be filled immediately with their embrace.

In time, she pulled him towards the bed.

*Scene*

"We believed there were only three of them," so said the previous head of the Gamigin family, who so was attending with the current head. He was an old Devil even by their standards. He, much like several others, demanded to be present.

For he recalled when a former Predator, the Earth Mother, had intercepted his platoon during the Great War. Nay, dare he say she simply happened to be walking by and both sides were in her way. He recalled her fearsome powers. How with but one wave of her hand _hundreds _of Devils and Angels were turned into mists of red and silver blood.

He felt six hundred years younger after hearing the news of her death but ten years ago.

This was an emergency meeting of the House of Lords. Far too many of the nobility had demanded an audience with the Four Satans after witnessing the Rating Game between Raizer Phenex and Rias Gremory. Those who had not been watching the event needed only minutes to hear word of it. In but a few hours the entirety of the Underworld was in a panic. Marshal Law needed to be declared as the citizens were thrown into frenzy.

It was the day after the incident. The Four Satans were gathered as well as every Ultimate and High-class family head, their predecessors, and/or their heirs.

"The Queen of Britain's Dragon Slayer," so continued the former head of House Gamigin, "The Church's Divine Beast, and whosoever defeated that she-devil of a vampire. But now we have _Eighth _Predator, the Dragoon?! Eight of them! _Eight! _At the least! Who's to say there aren't more out there?!"

"Are you saying these _things _have existed and you knew about it all along?!" outraged a young lord of House Halphas Malphas. An inexperienced and rather spoiled lad who had inherited his title too soon. He had yet to learn when it was appropriate to speak. But his uproar was the voice of a question many had on their minds and so allowed him to speak. "Shouldn't precautions have been made? And our enemy, the Angels, have a monster like Gremory's Pawn under their control?!"

"I call into question the loyalty of the Gremory Household," so declared the head of the Uvall family. A stern and strict woman with an unforgiving glare. "Surely it should have been known a threat of that quality was made a servant of that household. And yet they did _nothing_? I question for what reason they withheld such dangerous information."

Lord Gremory, much like with the countless other accusations he had received thus far, simply ignored her. He had already defended his household and if they weren't going to listen to his words then, then he wouldn't waste his breath a second, third, or _fourteenth _time.

A fist came down, leaving a dent onto the mystically reinforced wood of the desk Diehauser Belial sat behind. The gesture alone was enough to gather everyone's attention. When he stood, it was more than enough for them to grow silent.

The Emperor spoke, "Will we continue to bicker like children, or shall we get to the point of the matter? Instead of turning against another and throwing the blame around like cowards perhaps we should think about how we are going to address this Dragoon. First, it must be determined to what level of a threat he is to us. Second, do we deem him friend or foe? After that we can go back to tossing another into the fire. What say you, Satans?"

The Four Satans gathered at the large table directly in front of the mass of rows had said nothing since the beginning of the meeting. They listened well to every word thrown around but never once gave a comment nor did they try to still their arguments.

Serafall had looked like she wanted to, but the only way she knew how to was to freeze everyone. Which was a big no and Sona would be upset and give her a lecture. Ajuka looked troubled but knew just as little about how to deal with such crowds. Falbium… had his chin resting in the palm of his hand and looked half-asleep. He muttered how 'troublesome' the situation was but never progressed anything from there.

Sirzeches, however, had nothing but a serious look on his face. He gave a nod to the head of the Belial clan. "Thank you, Diehauser. Let us get to the point of this gathering. Let us first examine the situation and then decide for ourselves the _potential _of a threat the subject Issei Hyoudou may present himself to be.

"I call upon the former Dragon King, Tannin, to speak. Tell us, as one who had known Ddraig the most out of all of us, how do you compare this current Red Dragon Emperor to the Welsh Dragon?"

The target of inquiry was not present. However, placed in one of the first rows of the meeting, befitting of his rank as an Ultimate-class Devil, a window produced with magic reflected the image of Tannin right above his seat. His voice could be heard by everyone within the room.

"…This is difficult. I don't know much about Sacred Gears but… what that boy has done shouldn't have happened. All the way from my orchids I felt a presence I haven't felt in centuries. It was unmistakably Ddraig's as I remember it from the days he would battle with the White One. I had feared he broke free from his prison and was rampaging in the Underworld.

"Apparently that's not the case. I should have paid closer attention to all the hype going on with the Red Dragon Emperor. He's… what was he called? The Red Blur? Some dainty kid's show hero. Never watched it, but I should have.

"When I saw the footage of the Rating Game… Those wings of his… They belong to humans who have bested beings who have existed longer than the world itself. Beings of 'heavenly' power like Ddraig and Albion. This Issei Hyoudou wields the Gift of Flight— wings granted onto those who bested such a being through sheer willpower, to overpower their determination with that of their own. It bestows the perception of freedom with only their imaginations as limits. The boy can fly as far and as fast as he wants with only his mortal perceptions as a limit. However, those wings are only an instrument as a means of transportation. To use _mounts _when flight is no longer an option.

"And what is the Welsh Scale Mail? But a mount, the form of Ddraig in a suit of armor.

"This boy, whether he knows it or not, has used those wings to take complete control over Ddraig. For did he not declare himself the Dragoon? The Dragon Rider? By all means, this boy has succeeded where countless generations of Red Dragon Emperors had failed. He has taken every last drop of power within Ddraig and made it his own. He _is _Ddraig as far as I can tell. But… that's where I go back to saying what the boy has done should be impossible.

"Because both Ddraig and Albion weren't Predators. No, beside the Great Red and the Ouroboros— and those two are on a league of their own— there was one I know for sure the Heavenly Dragons couldn't defeat. The Biblical God. He always stood above them. And if Predators are beings who stand above everyone else in the world, those two could never be such.

"But this boy… to be a Predator… to be _greater _than Ddraig…"

"Outrageous!" shouted the head of the Uvall family once again. "Are you openly stating that this boy is equal to God Himself?! That… That would insinuate God is one of them as well!"

"Then Heaven possesses _two _of these abominations?!" someone shouted in alarm.

Murmurs were shared among another as panic started to seep in once more. However some, belonging to of Ultimate-class, said nothing as they knew the truth about God. Be that as it may, they did wonder for themselves if the Heavenly Father was indeed among the ranks of Predators. A curious thought, but there was no proof to feed those ideas.

"QUIET!" shouted Serafall Leviathan when she had enough. "Or so help me I _will _freeze every last one of you! I don't care if my sister gets mad at me at this point!"

The notion about her sister could have been left unsaid. However, when one earning the title of Satan threatens something, especially someone as mentally unstable as the current Leviathan, then they _will _see that threat fulfilled otherwise. Quickly, almost in a rush to not be seen as the last one speaking, everyone gathered themselves and gave her their undivided attention.

"Thank you~" she said with sugar. "Tannin-chan, you may continue."

"…Thank you, Lady Leviathan," Tannin was a little disturbed himself how sweet she could be after emitting such levels of killing intent. "I only have one last thing to say. After I saw the conclusion of the Rating Game, I can say he doesn't just have control over his Boosted Gear. He also has access to the Juggernaut Drive. Even more so, it appears he is not affected by the curse of madness by it. I don't know if it's because of his Gift of Flight that permits it or not. But he didn't show signs of entering a berserk-like state like how his predecessors had."

With his part done, another Lord stood up. An aged man who had been around since the Great War and still reining head of the Oriax clan. He waited until given permission to speak, granted by Sirzechs with a nod. "Thank you, King Lucifer. I would like to testify my experience with one of these Predators. I was sworn to secrecy by your forefathers but I believe my story may bring to light a few details. It may also help us decide how to best approach this Dragoon.

"She was a vampire. A timeless being without an age, and therefore no words could ever describe her beauty. But she was as vicious and whimsical as she was beautiful. None knew when she would appear, and none could stop her when she desired to feed. My dearest sister was taken by her and there was nothing I could do to stop her. Her lover, the head of the former House of Valefor, had sworn vengeance and so gathered a small platoon of his finest men to track her down. I was among them.

"She dared not to hide. She welcomed our challenge… and we were ever the fools to have accepted. We thought she was arrogant, but she simply _knew _there was nothing we could do to kill her. She played with us. I'll not say we were the greatest of the Devils, but Valefor was among the Ultimate-class. We were formidable. And yet we were children with toy weapons before her.

"I remember when there were few of us remaining. She announced herself to us. Her name, Lucrexia-Beatrix Valentius Adromedius vi Graeger Tyranicius. But she also called herself something else. I will never forget it as it has been carved into my very being with nightmares that haunt me to this day.

"First Predator, the Earth Mother.

"I ran. I abandoned my friends, my comrades, those who I had sworn an oath of duty as well as a pact of brotherhood to die with. And yet, from her sheer presence I renounced those vows. I ran and threw my brothers behind me so I may escape. I dared not look back. Nothing but the will to survive moved me, even if it meant I would sacrifice everyone else to get it. I was not the only one with this thought. Men fought amongst another, killed another, simply so they could have one step closer to the door than their counterparts.

"She watched with glee. And we knew, deep in our hearts, that she could kill us at any moment. Within a snap of her fingers our blood would boil, would explode into colorless flames, or our bodies be turned inside-out.

"She gave us all warnings. That she will remember us. That she will kill us when she feel the need to feast once more.

"Ten of us survived, but are no longer among us to this day. Shortly after, most of them committed suicide, lost their sanity, or simply went missing… or, perhaps, the Earth Mother had her fill of them. I am all that remain of that horror. And you will never know of the relief I've felt when it was heard the Vampire Queen had perished but a decade back. However, a new worry seeped through me. For she was _killed. _That abomination of a creature had been slain by an even more damnable monster.

"A year after her death, _he _visited me. Her killer. He said he remembered who I was because _she _remembered. For he hadn't just overwhelmed her with his power— he had stolen _hers _as well. And I remember just as fearfully and traumatic as when she revealed herself to me. This man so declared himself…

"Fourth Predator, the _Vampire._"

There was a moment of silence as the head of Oriax closed his eyes. A deep breath escaped his lips. This aged man was one who lived a life of constant fear, who had long forgotten what it meant to have a joyful life no matter how prosperous it had been. He never had a wife. He never had children. He did not have a successor. The House of Oriax would die and he would accept it.

Because he did not want to bring anyone into this world so long as _they _roamed it.

"I state, from my experience, this Hyoudou character is as real of a monstrosity as the Earth Mother and the Vampire. Did you not feel it when he declared himself? Do you not remember that feeling of staring into the deepest pit of darkness with **Death **staring back? _That _is the authority of these Predators. It is not a threat, not a promise, but _truth. _And should they so desire to slay any of us, there is _nothing _we can do about it. This boy, as was stated by Sir Tannin, is _greater _than the Welsh Heavenly Dragon. Many of you remember the Red One, of how it laid waste to many of our best men. And this boy possesses power greater than the Red Dragon Emperor?

"That, everyone, is the terror of Predators. It is in their very names! _Predators! _Ultimate Killers! If you do not acknowledge my story, then remember the destruction the Heavenly Dragons brought upon all three factions and know this boy is greater! _That _is what we are dealing with! An undeniable force! Now we must decide for ourselves how we will deal with this beast.

"He is a Devil, one of us. He has revealed himself to us. We cannot ignore this. Do we grant him privileges, deeds, grants, titles, peerages? Or do we shun him from our society and _hope _we do not call upon his ire? We must decide. Now. How are we to treat the Eighth Predator henceforth?"

With his piece said, he took his seat.

A few Lords stood up then to say their piece. Sirzechs gestured towards the head of the Bael family.

"I cannot lay claim to any truth behind Lord Oriax's story. However, I can understand the heart of his worries. We would not be here at this meeting otherwise. For that, I believe we must understand first the psyche of the current Red Dragon Emperor. And what information do we have on him? Hardly anything of adequate value. We know he was formerly a human with less than a month of experience as a reincarnated Devil. A teenage boy, but still a child. His power cannot be denied, but I do not believe we should give him the deeds proportionate to such power.

"If we make him one of the Ultimate-class, how do we know he will be capable of upholding the responsibilities entitled? He knows nothing of our society! We have a standing of tradition for a reason. But I know we cannot simply ignore him. I say give him a light promotion, something to acknowledge his power but also within his capabilities to manage. A baron or viscount, I believe."

"That is far too low!" countered the former head of House Gamigin. The elderly Devil stood with his cane supporting the majority of his weight. Whereas humans would frown upon such an elderly individual, the Devils looked upon this man with utmost respect. For one does not reach this age from foolishness.

The wisdom of a two thousand-year-old Devil was always welcomed.

"This is not some dog you can throw a bone to. This is a killing machine that can be the end of us all if we are not careful. You _must _treat a being such as this with respect, even if you must throw away your pride to do so. Survival is most important right now. Give him too little of your respect and you may insult him. With a matter like this he may take his anger out on all of us! You would doom our entire civilization because of how much land you might lose, Great King? Such things do not matter if you are dead!"

The second-born of House Focalor returned, "Indeed, fair elder, however we also do not know if he will grow agitated with the surplus of responsibility his rank will give him with. Your method might just as well be the trigger to insinuate his rage. I am not correcting you, merely stating we know nothing about the Rias Gremory's Pawn or how he would react to either your or Lord Bael's suggestion."

The Lord of Phenex stood, "And there we have another matter. He is a Pawn to a High-class Devil. How can we possibly think of giving him a rank that surpasses that of his master's? Can you imagine an Ultimate serving a High-class? It simply cannot apply in our society. The only solution would to promote the Gremory House into Ultimate-class, but then raises the question if Rias Gremory is deserving of such a rank."

"She has one of these _Predators _on a leash!" retorted the young Lord of House Halphas Malphas. "And it shows she can control him with her performance in the Rating Game. Did he not openly state against your son he will defend his master against those who offend her? _Clearly _she wields dominance over him. I would say she deserves a promotion for this alone!"

"_Please," _dragged the speckled Uvall, "Dragons are such simpleminded creatures, or have you yet to finish your homework, _Child _Halphas Malphas? It wouldn't be too difficult to sway a boy like him when you're as attractive as her. We are creatures who feed off of desire, who was to say she didn't feed off of his lust and swayed him with the sheets?"

This time, Lord Gremory spoke up, "Be careful what you say, Duchess. I'll not have you insult my daughter a second time."

Uvall glared back but said nothing else.

Lord Gremory sighed and stood, having decided it his time to share his input on the matter. "I am unsure of the situation as well. We know nothing about this Dragoon, Issei Hyoudou. We know nothing of his character and we know nothing about how he will react however which way we approach him. _However, _what we do know is his master, Rias. Surely, King Lucifer, we can come to a safe conclusion if we evaluate her?"

It was a look of a father asking his son for help. Sirzechs understood it. However, given his position, he could not accept such a plea for help. He was already under pressure as one who favored his sister; such things he could have ignored previously. But given the circumstances now, he had to make a decision as the ruler of the Underworld. For whatever he decided would change the fate of the entire Devil civilization.

He could either save it or destroy it in his next decision.

Ajuka Beelzebub whispered something in his ear— his personal opinion based on what others have said from the meeting thus far. Sirzechs accepted his words with a nod and let them flow in his mind in thought. When he finished his thoughts, he whispered back his idea to Ajuka. In turn, the Beelzebub nodded in approval and replied the idea to Falbium (who gave a passive shrug as though to say 'whatever, just roll with it). And Sirzechs gave his idea to Serafall, who thought it over for a moment before giving a nod and smile.

"I believe we have come to a compromise; a mere temporary solution until we can acquire more information," he announced. "It has been decided that we will grant him a title befitting that of his power. We shall acknowledge him, henceforth, as Demon Lord Issei Hyoudou, an Ultimate-class Devil. However, any and all perks coming with the title will be annulled until it can be proven Hyoudou is worthy and capable of upholding the responsibilities of his rank."

A title in name alone. An Ultimate-class Devil without any of the responsibilities, but at the same time none of its authority. With this, the likelihood of them insulting the Dragoon drop considerably and they are giving him a chance to prove himself.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Sona-chan is friends with him too!" Serafall leapt out of her seat as a revelation struck her. "He goes to their school! I can totally use this to my advan— I mean… I, Serafall Leviathan, shall be the personal mentor to Hyoudou Issei-sama! As the Devil in charge of foreign affairs, this may present an opportunity to reassure his loyalty to the Devil community as well as potentially learning more about the other Predators out there."

No one believed those were her true intentions. But no one dared to call her out on it.

Ajuka Beelzebub call forth, "All in favor?"

He, as well as each of the Satans and a number of Lords, raised their hands. When the count was done he asked for those opposed to the proposal. And with that count done as well, he tallied up the totals.

"Sixty-six percent of those present are in agreement, exactly two-thirds vote," he announced. "We will proceed with this measure. This meeting is adjourned."


	10. The Dog of Brittany

**A note!**

All right, let's get this out of the way. I'm a filthy liar. I said I wouldn't work on this until ToS is done. I'M STILL WORKING ON IT! Expect the chapter for ToS by New Years. But production has been slow to a crawl and I had this chapter eating away at me. So I stopped ToS and typed 21k words in two sittings. At work. That's right, they paid me to write fanfiction. Ah, America!

Um... I didn't ACTUALLY get paid for this... in case someone says something... *cough*

Second, I'm still reading that long ass list of requests. I didn't realize I had it all backed up. Nineteen stories for me to read and review, and you all know who you are. I've conquered six of them and I'm going down the list. So I'm sorry if I haven't responded to any PMs and all that. I've even put down my games and other projects to get it out of the way.

PS, I have a surprise for everyone at the last scene of the chapter. Therefore all you people that have been angry at me can shut THE HELL UP!

Love you guys.

That's it for that. Feel free to skip straight to the story after this. It's mostly jargon.

So people keep asking me "How powerful is a Predator?" A lot. Apparently just stating "They can kill ANYTHING" doesn't work according to anime law. There needs to be this thing called 'power-levels', which do not exist in my stories. So, just for you people, I've done my best to convert my ranking into DxD standards.

So, this is the ranking system my buddies and I have come to from 'strongest' to 'weakest'.

Tier 1  
#1 Great Red (He stands alone. Like a boss)

Tier 2  
#2 Ophis (Before canon betrayal)  
#3 Predators / Ophis (Post betrayal)  
#4 Candidates (Super Satans, Hades, Indra, Heavenly Dragons, Evil Dragons, any overpowered douche-bag, etc)  
#5 Ultimate-class Gods

Tier 3#6 The Ruler of the World  
#7 High-Class Gods / Ultimate-class Reapers / Dragon Kings  
#8 Seraphim / 12-winged Fallen / Ultimate-class Devils / Vali / Heroes

Tier 4  
#9 Balance Breakers (Any; they LITERALLY defy the Laws of the World)  
#10 High-class and lower schmucks of everything else

Tier 5  
#11 Augmented beings who are stronger than they're supposed to be (I.E. Magicians &amp; Reincarnated Devils)

Tier 6  
#12 The common human

So there we have it. Now, I should point out even the common human of my stories can something impossible as Great Red. In fact, the common human HAS killed beings GREATER than Great Red. I believe a firm plan and adequate resources can make it happen. Hence why I made the Predator system so ridiculous to keep them alive.

If there are any more questions, I'll be glad to hear them. But that's the list I could form to the best of my abilities. Which really doesn't elaborate much, does it? If it is unsatisfactory then I shall divulge in the next note.

On with the show!

* * *

**Betas:  
**No one for this chapter :P

* * *

"Good morning, Sona," greeted Rias with a bright smile. "Would you like to join us?"

It wasn't a surprise to receive a call first thing in the morning from Rias to say her peerage was fully rejuvenated. Devils were creatures that needed only a fragment of time to recover from the most grievous of injuries a human would succumb to. With a healer like Asia Argento on their team, they needed only to worry about regaining what demonic energy they had spent, which would only require a night's sleep to regain.

The clubroom had been rearranged. The desk and furniture had been taken out of the room and instead all remained was a large long table filled with food and drink. Each member was seated appropriately, with Rias at the head, Akeno to her right, and an empty seat at her left. Considering Issei was the only one not present…

"Thank you, but I'm going to have to decline," Sona said as she came closer to the heart of the room with Tsubaki in her shadow as always. "I… do not wish to interrupt your celebrations. If you want I can come back at a later time. The topic I wanted to discuss isn't particularly favorable for such occasions."

"Join us, Sona," Rias requested further. "You're not interrupting anything and we can talk about things afterwards. I wouldn't have called you this early otherwise."

Sona exchanged a glance with her Queen. Tsubaki could only give a nod as to say it was entirely up to Sona. With a look back at Rias, the Sitri Heiress gave the smallest of smiles it might as well have been a phantom. "…Very well. If you insist, Rias."

"I do insist, Sona," Rias beamed a warm smile at her friend and gestured for the two to take their seats.

"Are you not eating, Argento-san?" asked Tsubaki as she took her seat between the Bishop and Rias' Rook Koneko.

The petite Rook stopped a moment to gaze at the pile of syrup-slathered French toast and blink in thought. She pondered if she should have waited on eating until everyone was present like Asia was. Only a moment. She resumed her normal pace a second after.

Asia had been the only one of the group who had not touched the plate in front of her. She sat with her hands idle in her lap and eyes glancing every so often at the clock. "O-Oh, I'm waiting for Ise. Please, go right ahead. A-And feel free to call me Asia. We're friends, aren't we?"

Tsubaki raised a brow at the question but gave a firm nod. "Yes, I am more than happy to call you my friend, Asia-san."

Asia returned with a bright smile.

Sona poured herself a spot of tea as she glanced at the empty seat beside the Gremory Heiress. "Speaking of which, where is Hyoudou? Will he not be joining us this morning?"

There wasn't a trace of bite in her tone like there was the previous night. However the friendly tone she had when speaking his name wasn't present either. It wasn't particularly neutral, but Rias would have to say it was… sterile. Like all the affection she had for him had been dipped in alcohol and purged.

"Y'know," Yuuto looked towards the door as he drank from the glass of orange juice. "Buchou asked me to bring him a spare of my uniform… that was about half an hour ago. He should have been dressed by now. He was stepping out of the shower when I went in there."

"Maybe someone should go check on him…?" Asia asked with some mild concern.

Akeno put a hand to her cheek and gave a heavy sigh, "Oh, I offered to do so earlier but Buchou…"

Rias waved it off, "I think he's just being a little shy. Who would have thought Mr Big Bad Predator was afraid of a few eyes on him? I think he just needs some encouragement.

"Ise-kun~ Your King commands you! Come down here and join us!"

There was an audible groan coming from the second floor.

Sona had no idea what Rias meant by 'having a few eyes on him'. If there was any truth to it then he wouldn't have pulled off such a stunt in front of live television with the largest amount of Underworld citizens watching in history. But her curiosity was resolved when a few minutes later the door creaked open and Issei presented himself.

He was acting like a shy girl with the way his face blushed, his attention was locked directly to his feet, and his arms wrapped around his body like a blanket or shield. But she could understand why, to a point anyways. For a year and a half she had seen Issei wear nothing but baggy clothes to hide his figure and he _always _had a long sleeve undershirt to hide his winged tattoos.

He didn't have his usual uniform and was wearing instead a spare of Kiba Yuuto's. The Knight was a lean and slim figure and had his uniforms tailored to fit his physique. Issei was a little thicker than the Knight and so the uniform was tightly pressed against his body. The long sleeve was also missing and so exposed his powerful arms. At the least they had been considerate and had given him a black undershirt, though it was sleeveless.

"B-B-B-B-Buchooooouuuuuuu! Everyone's staring at me!" he cried out and hugged himself tighter.

It was then Sona realized that she _was _staring. Worse, she could feel a warm sensation on her cheeks. Nine Rings of Hell, she was _blushing. _She didn't know why, either. There were times when she had seen him in nothing but his undergarments as she treated his wounds. So why did she think he was cute to see him in a new style of—

Wait, wait, wait. Did she just think the number one pervert of all the cosmos was _cute?!_

The tea must be spiked. That had to be it.

"Fufuhuhuhu," cackled Akeno as she was eyeing Issei like how he would with girls. "Ise-kun, I won't be able to be called your onee-sama if you have those big strong arms to protect me."

"…Tsubaki," Sona muttered under her breath to her Queen at her side.

Mentioned Queen closed her gaping jaw and set her attention on the plate of food before her. Her blush intensified.

Rias gave the two a knowing look. Sona pretended to not have noticed.

"Man, Ise-kun," Yuuto sighed as he scratched his cheek. "I'm jealous. I wished I looked that good in my own uniform."

"Gah! I-I don't want to hear that from you of all people!" outburst Issei. "A-And don't say something like that or people are going to think wrong things!"

Yuuto's response was to give a light laugh and return to his meal.

"Come, Ise," Rias gave him a loving smile as she gestured to the seat at her side. "We started without you because you were taking so long. But the food is still warm."

Issei nodded, went around the table while greeting everyone, and took his seat beside his King and Asia. Sona watched in the corner of her eye as Issei piled his plate higher than the stack the gluttonous Koneko had. She also watched as how Rias poured him a cup of tea, even scooting her chair closer to him. While Issei gorged himself of food (foregoing most table manners to begin with), Rias tended to him and continuously refilled his plate.

Asia puffed her cheeks and saw Rias as a threat, in her own harmless way of course. Instead of eating as soon as Issei appeared as she had promised, she began to reach for the things out of Rias' parameter and put it on Issei's plate. She also insisted for him to try certain things she cooked herself.

"Ah, Asia, how I love your cooking," he said in-between bites.

"Ara, ara, Ise-kun," Akeno spoke up. "Asia isn't the only one. Koneko-chan and I slaved over the meal. And Koneko-chan didn't sneak in a few bites this time. She had her precious Ise-sempai on her mind the whole time."

Koneko hesitated in her next bite as she blushed and looked away.

"Hey now, you can't be taking all the credit," Yuuto laughed aloud. "I'm the one who made the tea this time. I hope you like it, Ise-kun. It's this new blend that some of the housewife clients serve me."

Though there was nothing but consideration in his statement, it only infuriated Issei with the way the Pawn gave the Knight such a dark look of disdain.

Tsubaki leaned in her chair to whisper into her King's ear, "Are they… fighting over him?"

"…It would seem so," Sona whispered back as she watched the… show.

"I'm glad," Tsubaki moved back to her rightful position but kept her tone down for only her King to hear. "Perhaps this is what he needs to change his character. Perhaps now he won't be such a deviant in school."

Sona prayed such was true.

The meal resumed with mainly Rias and Asia tending to Issei and a few conversations starting between the Gremory peerage and the two Sitri Pieces. At the climax of the celebrations, Akeno had went to the next room and fetched a cart filled with small cakes. Conveniently, and Sona nearly snorted at this, there were two extra pieces for her and her Queen.

"I made this one _especially _for you, Ise-kun~" Akeno gave him a wink as she served him a cake not any different from any of the others.

"Um… T-Thank you, Onee-sama," Issei blushed and scratched his cheek.

There was just an instant, but Sona caught the looks exchanged between the King and Queen of Gremory. Akeno had a smug look of victory while Rias' brow twitched. It had only lasted in the blink of an eye and anyone who hadn't been looking in their direction would have missed it.

Rias stood and looked at each of her Pieces. "Everyone, I would like to propose a toast. Well, I'd have champagne for all of you but seeing as how our stuffy student president is here…"

Sona gave her a dead stare. Had she meant what she said, Rias was the type of person to have done it regardless if Sona was present or not. Having that said, Sona would have looked the other way just this once.

Rias continued as she raised her teacup, "Congratulations everyone. We didn't just gain victory over our first Rating Game but a dominating one! Here's to a perfect victory!"

They raised what drinks they had and cheered.

"Buchou," Yuuto began to inquire after a few minutes, "have you received any official results from the game committee yet? Or anything about…"

His eyes glanced over to Issei.

The Pawn's stature shifted as his flamboyant expression changed into a serious one. His attention also went over towards his King.

Rias answered with a nod, "I've received confirmation that we are the official victors of the Rating Game against Raizer. Therefore my engagement with him is broken. However, I haven't heard anything from anyone beside that. It's been… deafly quiet on the other end."

"And that is what I would like to discuss," Sona spoke up. "If the celebrations are done, I would like to share with you my encounter with the Sixth Predator."

The silence was booming. What once was a clatter of joy had become a soundless abyss as all eyes turned towards Sona.

"…King Oberon?" Issei asked aloud without any tone in his voice. But his eyes betrayed him as they were sharp enough to absorb what life remained in the room. Sona couldn't look away by the sheer volume of his gaze.

She would have questioned him had she not paid attention to the conversation between he and Ravel Phenex. He knew as little of Rolan's alternative identity any more than she did. "Yes, but to clarify for everyone else Sixth Predator Chase Lance Rolan had come to the Underworld as an invited VIP. He is the current fourth High King of the Fae, Oberon and has been making exchanges with the Devil community for quite some time. According to what Tsubaki had uncovered, he has been having dealings with us for four years.

"Hyoudou, before I continue, is there anything you can tell us about Rolan that we might not know already?"

Issei folded his hands onto the table and thought deeply for a moment. "…As a Predator, he is one of the few without a title. It means he doesn't specialize in anything and is considered… a jack of all trades, so to say. There's probably nothing you don't know already, Sona. But for everyone else, Rolan was the one to find me first, the one who found a means to communicate and keep in touch with the others, and the only one among us that knows how the Predator system works. He was the one who had explained what it meant to be a Predator to me and to several of the others.

"Apparently, according to what Serene and Siegfried had told me, Rolan was the one to gather four of the Predators together for the first time. This happened years before I became one and they never shared what it was they faced. All the others always spoke about him in favor, like he's this _great _guy. But every time we've met he's been nothing but a sour little punk with anger issues.

"But I knew nothing about him being King Oberon. Rather, I don't know _anything _about him other than he's some mercenary back in America. For that matter, I know very little about the others. I only know Siegfried still serves the Queen of the British Isles and Serene is still an Exorcist of the Church. So anything you can share right now would tell me a lot."

"How about…" Rias inquired next, "what should we prepare for should we encounter him? I have a feeling if he's presented himself easily enough for you to find out he was at the Rating Game then it means he still has business with you. So, Issei, what exactly is it that made Rolan a Predator?"

His expression darkened as he realized something. "I… I don't know…"

"There's nothing you can tell us at all, Ise-kun?" asked Akeno.

His grimace grew as he bowed his head. "I've never seen him in combat. I'm sorry. I don't have anything that can be helpful."

"…He's manipulative," Koneko added.

Sona adjusted her glasses and continued, "Indeed. On the night before the match, he attended the pre-game ball. The excuse given was to evaluate the Gremory Peerage for a future project that I will delve into in a moment. There is truth to his claim but it was clear he had ulterior motives. In our exchange, he willingly revealed delicate information about himself and the intentions behind the manipulations the other six Predators have been involved in.

"Something happened in the past, presumably between ten to five years ago based off of what records Tsubaki and I have been able to unearth. I've haven't much of a chance to uncover what this incident was but can only hypothesize it was something massive enough to stir the Predators out of their arrogance. Something large enough to threaten them and for them to take immediate action against it. Whatever it was, I do not believe it is over.

"Rolan revealed to me they are within a preparation period, gathering their arms and doing everything in their power to increase their numbers. He has claimed within an undisclosed number of years he as well as the others has been seeking individuals who can one day become Predators. And through their efforts, they created five of the original eleven beings he claimed to be called 'Canditates'. Only one of them became a Predator as of three years ago…"

She paused to glance at Issei. The Dragoon Predator had been able to follow her every word.

He had come to the same conclusion as she did.

Murderous rage could not fit the description of the look he gave her.

"Then… with Ise's p-parents…" Asia had been the one to voice what everyone was thinking. Her face was ghastly pale as her hands covered her mouth in horror.

There was density in the room as Issei could no longer withhold his murderous intent. Though his eyes stared in Sona's direction, he was gazing past her into open space. His folded hands gripped tight as they began to shake in uncontrollable rage. "They… _They _did it? Not just the Fourth? And I'm not the only one? There are four others out there they _fucked _with?!

"No…" as though possible, his rage increased. He had come to realize something else. His aura was overwhelming as everyone began to have difficulty breathing. "We're the only five that _survived._"

Sona had thought of that as well. It was merely by chance Issei had become one. Had he not a Longinus-class Sacred Gear, or _any _in this case, Issei would have more than likely be dead during the time the Fourth had come to Japan.

How many countless others were there to have failed to meet their unworldly standards?

Asia put one hand over his and another at his arm. She squeezed tight and ushered words of comfort to him. Her touch alone was what dispersed the miasma surrounding him and her words brought him out of his darkness. He nodded in thanks to her; though he grabbed her hand and held it firmly on top of the table. The pain was still lingering on his face and he was just one shy step away from breaking apart. Only Asia's gentle nature was keeping him strong.

Sona couldn't help but frown. Circumstances be damned, Issei was still her friend and it hurt her to see him like this. He had never fully recovered from his parent's death, and a just as gaping wound had been opened upon Ayame's death. All because of the Predators.

"…They're not going to leave Issei alone, are they?" asked Rias with a deadly glare in her eyes. The question was directed at Sona, but her gaze was locked steadily on the center of the table.

"I'm afraid matters are a bit more… complicated than that," Sona resumed. "To him… Issei was always something of an investment on the side. The overall goal is something much bigger. I told you he came to evaluate the value of your peerage for a project. He wishes to present it to the Yondaime Maou while bringing other figureheads into it such as Odin of the Norse and Hades of the Dead.

"He wishes to reinstate the Holy Sword Project with Kiba Yuuto as the prime candidate as the next holy sword wielder."

"…What."

It was not a question. The charming presence that had always been Yuuto had melted away to become a grotesque face of undiluted hatred. No one had ever seen such an expression on him before. The Knight that had always laughed, smiled, and cheered no matter the situation, the one who upheld the group with his sympathetic charm, had divulged himself into one of pure murder.

"…Kiba-sempai," Koneko tugged on the sleeve of his shirt with a saddened look in her eyes.

The Knight looked down at her, took a small intake of breath, and put back up the face he had always worn since becoming the Knight of Gremory. It was then many realized that's all it was— a mask he had continuously worn without anyone noticing.

"…I will _not _have _them _touch a single one of _my _servants," hissed Rias as her Power of Destruction leaked in crackling crimson lightning in her clenching fists.

Sona waited until the atmosphere began to settle before continuing, "Hopefully it will never have to come to be. My sister has learned Rolan is a Predator. And thanks to a certain _someone _in this room, the value of threat every individual Predator represents has been revealed to everyone within the Underworld… and then some."

"Friend and foe alike were watching," retorted Issei as he quoted the message Ravel Phenex delivered from Rolan himself. "Including the other seven. I thought if I could show them what they would have to face if they tried anything ever again they would back off."

Sona then gestured for her Queen to finally speak.

Tsubaki stood from her seat and withdrew a small notebook from a conjured magic circle. "I cannot speak for the… Predators, but your announcement has gained a great deal of results within the past five hours. Mind you, these are all unconfirmed reports that I had gathered in such short time and my limited resources.

"First, within the country of Japan alone there have been an approximate fifteen-thousand citizens of the supernatural world that have fled off the island. In their haste to leave the islands there have been an enormous amount of report sightings of monsters and such among the humans. The Youkai of Kyoto especially are in chaos with reports of high-ranking officials and elders evacuating. It is unconfirmed on what actions the Kyuubi will take.

"Second, the Underworld is in morbid pandemonium as we speak. Riots have broken out in numerous cities and the Maous have been forced to issue Marshall Law. Communications between the human realm and the Underworld have been cut off as of two hours ago. I do not know of the current conditions but with the way things were escalating I can only assume things won't settle anytime soon."

"So Ise-kun's actions have done more than he realized?" Akeno mused. "The Underworld acknowledges how dangerous he can be and therefore Leviathan-sama knows this Rolan character is just as troublesome?"

"So then any further interactions with Rolan are put on hold now that they know what he is?" finished Rias.

"Perhaps," nodded Sona. "Or I would think they would put the decision of the Holy Sword Project on hold until they settle things in the Underworld, including how to react towards Hyoudou from now on. But I do believe my sister will strongly argue against Rolan's proposition."

"…I doubt that'll stop him," bickered Issei. "But I won't know what to do until he makes a move. For now, all I think we can do is wait and see. What else is there you need to share with us?"

"Only one more thing. Odin of the Norse was also an invited VIP; he plans on making contact with the Japanese Shinto Pantheon and was making deals with the Devils to be a third-party witness at the meeting. Apparently Lucifer-sama recommended the Gremory Peerage to be his escorts and so Odin was present to see for himself. It was at the party when Rolan approached Odin with the Holy Sword Project and wished to discuss the details of it in his personal lounge during the game. I don't know if he accepted the invite but… please be on your guard should you receive anything relating to Odin."

"…Hades?" Koneko was the one to ask.

"I'm afraid there wasn't any information I could extract about him," Sona answered in a tired voice. "My sister was very adamant about me 'not needing to worry about it'. He wasn't at the party so I can only divulge he attended the game itself."

"I see," Rias gave a small nod as she took the information. "Thank you for bringing this to us, Sona. I really do appreciate it. We would have been kept in the dark without you."

"Of course," Sona stood and with her Tsubaki. "If you will excuse me I still have a few duties to finish before the day begins. Oh, and Hyoudou, please stop by the student council office at your earliest convenience. I wish to review your performance in the Rating Game."

"Sona…" Rias spoke up.

"It is not a lecture," Sona assured as she headed towards the door. "I have no right to question the way you rule your servants. But I do wish to go over the finer details of Hyoudou's interactions for future references, both as a study-guide with my own peerage and for him to understand what faults he made. It was an agreement we had long before he had become a Devil."

Well, the part about her peerage hadn't been part of the original agreement, but she had learned a great deal about battle strategies from him. One might say they taught each other.

With nothing else to say, she gave her final departing words and stepped out of the clubroom.

*Scene*

"…When I said at your earliest convenience…" Sona paused momentarily to rub the sudden ache that had sprouted at her right temple. "I did not mean as soon as you were reprimanded by the disciplinary committee and thrown in here for my jurisdiction."

All Issei could do was cough into his hand and look away.

It had been a while since they were alone like this. It wasn't too long ago they would be sitting apart from another like this with the same chess board between them. She would be typing away and organizing records and reports while he explained the elaborate stories of his adventures around the world as the Red Blur. Some reports would go towards Rolan or Philips so they would pay Issei while the rest were simply held for reviewing in future days.

It was strange how so much had changed over a few weeks. Before she had always felt like the underpaid secretary that did everything for her immature employer. Well… a part of her still felt that way, but there was at least something more than professionalism between them this time. The level of fear she once had for Issei had gone away and all remained was respect and admiration.

"I thought I had been careful…" Sona continued as she moved her piece across the board and waited for his turn. She had already won— four steps from now, but victory was absolutely hers. And Issei knew it too. But they moved their pieces along just for formality's sake. "The air ducts were too small for a person to squeeze through, the ceiling too thin to carry the weight of an individual stupid enough to go between the layers, and the floor was on solid ground so burrowing underneath was impossible. I never thought to check the lockers… I knew the boys' and girls' rooms were connected but to have a doorway between them…"

The period before lunch, Issei and his two goons ditched their classes to sneak into the girls' locker room. The first years were changing for physical education and the coach had been keeping a keen eye out for the Perverted Trio all year long. However, she thought nothing of it when the Trio went into the boys' room instead.

One of the 'out of order' lockers in the boys' was directly linked to a similar 'out of order' locker on the girls' side. Through the small holes of the door the Perverted Trio were able to catch glimpses of the girls changing attire.

It so happened to have been the class Koneko had. She was half naked when she sensed something was wrong. It didn't take her very long for her to find the Trio hiding…

Followed by her beating the three of them to near-death. She used mundane strength against Motohama and Matsuda, but held nothing back against the much more durable Issei.

Sometime after that, they were handed over to the disciplinary squad with the ringleader— Issei— handed over to the student council for severe punishment while the other two received a months' worth of detention.

"Do you not realize it is within my full rights to have you expelled for this?" she asked. "And don't think Rias can protect you; you're more than able to serve her outside of school so she can't use that excuse to pull you out of the fire this time."

Truth be told, this wasn't their first song and dance.

"B-But Sona—"

"You will address me as Kaichou," she snapped. "And don't think of saying 'the breasts compelled me' or 'I am a victim of breasts'. If those excuses don't work out in the real world what makes you think they'll work in here? You're lucky none of those girls are pressing sexual assault charges against any of you. But how long do you think they will tolerate this from you? Sooner or later the authorities will get involved and it won't be just a problem for you but for Rias as well. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?"

With her final move, she knocked over his king piece. She didn't bother this time to call out her victory. She just flicked the piece off the board and into his lap.

She was _really _mad with him. She had honestly believed now that she had a few girls flaunting over him like he had always dreamed he might have changed his ways or at least quenched his sexual desires with them. Instead, nothing had changed. He was still a child who had no respect for the female populace. Nothing could be more disrespectful than an invasion of privacy and stealing glances from parts women held most sacred.

"…Sona—"

She gave him a mean glare, challenging why he was still calling her by her name and not what she told him otherwise.

With a heavy sigh, he placed the king piece back on the board. "…Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm sure you can guess why," she crossed her legs and arms while giving the bland comment.

"You never once told me to call you Kaichou," he went on. "I wasn't talking about right now. I mean… like this morning. Why were you calling me Hyoudou?"

"…Don't change the topic."

"You're not being fair," he countered with an unmoving look.

Her brow twitched. Fair? She was being more than fair. She was being _generous. _How many times had they been together like this? He would get in trouble, she would give him a lecture and a suitable punishment, and the cycle would continue until _something _changed— either he would stop being a pervert or she would give up. And neither of those options was likely to happen.

Sona realized why she was going about this differently. She was tired. She was always cleaning up his mess and he would _never _learn. Maybe she had finally hit that wall she thought to have never existed. She firmly believed that if she stuck true to her ideals and gave a firm yet gentle hand Issei would stop fooling around.

Take what has happened between he and Rias. Issei had taken Sona's words in the completely wrong direction and sold the entirety of his being to Rias.

But then comes the question of what she was doing wrong. Were the punishments not demanding enough? Or did she need to be a bit gentler?

Then, the problem lied with Issei. He was a broken child. She never knew how to deal with him from the very first day he enrolled in Kuoh Academy. He was anything but a normal child with a normal mindset. Being perverted beyond all reason of understanding was merely half the problem. He had such tremendous levels of guilt over the death of his parents that he had become a _superhero _of all things, constantly pushing himself into warfare— sometimes to blindly save as many lives as possible at the expense of his self.

Then, there was the unknown wreckage he kept hidden from everyone else ever since Ayame had died. The emotional carnage that had made him into a true Predator. It was something Sona knew existed but had yet to see what it was like. Even when he revealed himself as a Predator on television she had only been able to catch a glimpse of it. He had withheld those emotions with only a thin veil shrouding them— intangible enough to see but a vague outline of his true self.

Words cannot describe the amount of… malevolence that brewed within Issei.

It made Sona think: how many layers of mental defense had Issei created? Was he ever a pervert to begin with? Did he even feel guilt or did he ever for his parents? Was Issei even Issei anymore? Was he some monster wearing his skin? Or was 'Hyoudou Issei' simply a mask he wore to fool what lay hidden underneath…

…Exactly like the Fourth.

She had thought it was all depression and trauma following Ayame's death. But as things began to settle, she started to notice a few things. Whenever a person changes they at least keep their core nature. Other times they would carry small traits of their original self with them. Sometimes both occur. But the signs she's seen with Issei were entirely different. So to say, Issei had changed _entirely _and yet at the same time he hadn't _at all._

It was like he had become Eighth Predator the Dragoon, who was trying to follow the pattern that was Hyoudou Issei down to the last detail.

"…I'm upset with myself," she began after some time. "Because I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know what will reach you. I don't know what ever did. I don't know if I need to be more strict or more forgiving. Either attempt had produced the same results.

"I'm upset because when I sat down to talk with you in the infirmary the other week you went and did the exact opposite of what I was attempting to reach you with. I wanted you to be stronger for yourself knowing that we will always be here for you, not the other way around. I've played the conversation in my head countless times and I can't understand where I went wrong or how you came to that conclusion.

"I'm upset with myself because this is all my fault. I've known you for eighteen— nineteen months and I never attempted to get to know you better. I don't know anything about you, Hyoudou. I don't even know if you are currently Issei or if there ever was an Issei to begin with.

"I don't know if I should be displeased with you and Rias for what you two did. And that's why I'm so frustrated. Because _I don't know. _I despise not knowing anything and you, Hyoudou, are the biggest enigma to ever appear in my life."

"…You don't know what it's like," Issei said under his breath.

Had Sona been anyone else, she would have given him such a look people miles away would have been able to read the 'No duh' words written on her face. Fortunately she was no such person and so kept silent to herself.

Issei shook his head and tried to find the right words to share with her. "See, I don't know anything about me being 'Issei' or not being, but I'm pretty sure I'm still me. Always have been. I might be… different with everything going on, but the only significant change about me is that I'm now a Devil. I mean, I'd always been a Predator since I've known you. The only difference I think there would be about that is that now I'm recognized by both the World and the Ruler as one… whatever that means."

He scratched his cheek at the thought, but then shook his head and went back to the topic. "Sona… I'm sorry I put you in a spot like this. I can't fully understand what's going on, but if it's because I'm getting in trouble… then…"

He crossed his arms as he made a pained look. He opened his mouth a few times but had trouble forming the words he wanted to say. He even began to sweat as though it was causing him some great physical effort.

"T-Then… I will… _try _to… s-s-s-s-s-stop…"

He looked into the great distance beyond the window. It was like he was watching the last sunrise of his life as a single tear drop fell from his eye. As if he was saying goodbye to an old friend that he will never see again.

It should be noted he put heavy emphasis on the word _try._

Sona stared at him for a while. The brow she had always been able to restrain broke through her ability and rose on its own. In a few minutes of watching him sob, she leaned forward…

And began to pull his cheeks apart.

"Meh! Shoonnnaaaaaa dut hurrrddddzzzzz!" he cried but did nothing to stop her.

With a puff of air through her lips, she released her grip and leaned back in her chair. "I needed to make sure you weren't someone else."

"HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK I WAS THE FOURTH?!" he shrieked in betrayal.

"Because not once have any of my attempts gotten through to you," she countered calmly. "All of a sudden they do for no reason at all? The Issei I knew wouldn't have let the end of the world stop him from flipping skirts and peeping on girls showering."

He gave a small smile. She realized she had called him Issei instead of Hyoudou.

Issei responded, "I only know my friend is hurt because of me. So… yeah. Of course I would do anything to make it stop. Regardless of your reasons, you were always there for me, Sona. And… um… well… I care a lot about you. You're like a big sister to me and…"

He couldn't say anything else as the embarrassment was getting to him.

"Thank you, Ise," she gave him a small smile. "I understand the value of your… sacrifice and appreciate every bit of it. Having that said, I expect you here after lunch every day until summer vacation."

"You mean I'm still in trouble?!"

"…Did you honestly expect I would have forgotten?"

He didn't respond to that.

They were both quiet for a minute before Sona began a new conversation. "There's something else I wanted to ask about, something I could only do in private. Ise, Rolan warned me about something. In regards to the reason why he is trying to make more Predators, he… _implied _you knew the answer. I trust you with my life. So if you haven't told me what it is, I understand it is something you don't wish to share. Some things are better left unsaid…"

She frowned as she recalled the words Sixth Predator shared with her.

"…But will you promise to tell me what it is one day?"

There was no expression on Issei as he sat rigid in his seat. The only indication he was animated in any way would be the occasional blink and the small breaths he made. "…I don't know what he told you. There are a large number of threats out there in the world, both current and in the near future from what I can tell. But they are all things I can deal with— some I'll admit will need help from the others, maybe one or two Predators."

He shrugged. "I don't know what those things are, only that I will be called into action one day to stop them. But to require more than the eight of us? There is nothing like that now or in the near future. At least, not from what the World and the Ruler are telling me through the instinct perk. I think Rolan's just full of it."

She listened to his words and thought things over. "Are you… absolutely sure? That wouldn't make sense if so."

"I don't take anything about him at face value," Issei crossed his arms with a scowl. "Look what he's done so far. Who's to say he told you that in some scheme to use later on? We don't know what he's thinking— we didn't know what he was thinking before and Ayame…

"Sona, there's nothing. I would never lie to you."

Those words were spoken as both Hyoudou Issei, the dear friend of Sona Sitri; and as Eighth Predator, one of the defenders of the world. Love and authority mixed with his tone.

She had no choice but to believe his words. After all, he had never lied to her.

"Very well," Sona adjusted her seating and gestured back to the chess table. "Since it's too late for you to return to your classes why don't we start right away with the reason why I called you here? I wish to go over your performance in the Rating Game… with the exception of the last three minutes."

Issei gave a long sigh of defeat and began to reassemble his black pieces. Sona was always red; she refused to give that up. He argued once since he was the _Red _Blur he should at least have a chance with the red pieces. It did not work.

"First, how do you truly feel about your master, Rias Gremory?" she made the first move with her knight advancing.

Issei grimaced as his fingers lingered on the pawn piece he was about to move. He hesitated in answering, "She is my master."

"…And?"

"…I will always follow her and do everything I can to protect her. I am her faithful Pawn."

He had made a mistake and the game was over within three moves— much too soon than the normalcy. They reset the field and began anew.

"And how about the rest of the members of her peerage?" she asked instead of pushing more information regarding Rias.

"Hmm? Them? I love each and every one of them. They're like a family to me. Even that damn pretty-boy. But don't tell him I said that. I'll be mad if you did."

There was a significant difference in the way he answered that question. Like night and day. It couldn't have been any more obvious.

…That was not a good sign.

"Sona, what's this all about?" he asked with a confused and rather innocent look. It spoke of how much he trusted her.

She also noticed he broke his record and was going to survive up to fifteen moves. Yet another visible sign of his true feelings. But the game was still decided by her. "I'm only pondering about something. You showed remarkable strategic observations during the match. I knew you were always a clever young man, but… Issei, your traditional tact is to dive in head first with fists flying everywhere."

He did not deny those words. She had watched him propose the same idea to Rias during the strategy session of the game after all.

She went on, "I'm merely wondering where this level of insight came from… and why you're not using it right this moment." She gestured at the board once more. "From the match you clearly showed you can read the enemy's movements and plan accordingly. Yet I'm not seeing any of that brilliance as we play. A Rating Game is no different than a game of chess; it was chess that was the foundation of the Rating Games after all."

Issei would have moved his rook had she not said those words. He stopped himself and sat up. "No Sona, there is a clear difference. Maybe by those foundations the Devils see it as a means of entertainment; and I can understand that, seeing as how the possibility of death is slim in the arena so Devils can go all out. And, yes, chess pieces and Evil Pieces are seen as one in the same not just because of their names, but because of their roles in the games.

"But the difference is dimensions. Chess is a game with a set amount of rules that no one can defy. While Rating Games do have set rules, they are adaptable, changeable, and the pieces inside the game have wills of their own that can become unpredictable. In chess, there are only two players. In Rating Games, there can be up to thirty-two.

"As for the reason why I'm not doing what I did in there… Really, I would have to say I have no reason to do so. In there, I wasn't just Rias' Pawn, I was also Eighth Predator. The only thing on my mind wasn't to win, but to outright destroy my enemy. Because, honestly, everything about that guy just pissed me off. I mean, he already has a harem! Do you know what it would have meant if we lost and Rias married him?!

"Asia, Akeno-oneesama, and Koneko-chan's breasts would belong to him! I COULDN'T ALLOW THAT!"

Towards the end of his explanation he had stood up from his chair, effectively knocking it back, and raised his fist up into the air in agitation.

Sona could only stare at him in disbelief. She should have expected this to be his reasoning. But it was so obvious that she couldn't believe it to be the real reason and so was curious to find out what it was. But Issei wasn't the character to use _reasoning _in his actions. He followed his most primal of instincts and those happened to be a simplistic yet hard-driven fascination with all things related to breasts.

She wondered… Did he announce himself as Predator to intimidate the others so that the girls of the Gremory peerage, specifically their _breasts, _wouldn't be harmed?

She had a feeling that, yes, this was the sole reason.

"You… You can't be serious," she found herself asking anyways.

Issei blinked and this time it was he who stared in disbelief. He picked up his chair and sat himself back down.

"Strike that," she found a headache about to rise. "Are you meaning to tell me the only way you will ever strategize is if there are… _breasts _on the line?"

"…Is there any other way?" he asked with such innocent confusion he morbidly believed it to be the truth of all existence.

"W…What?" she was rendered speechless. "You… can't mean to say all those times you went out as the Red Blur… all those lessons I gave you… t-those attempts to teach you to come back with less wounds… was for… breasts?"

He stared at her as his confusion grew. He didn't quite understand her question but tried to answer to the best of his ability. "Well… I can't enjoy breasts if I'm dead… And I can't play with them if my arms are broken… Not that I ever had the chance back then, but that's what kept me focused. Oh! That reminds me. Now that I have Buchou I have to be especially careful from now on! I need to go back and review some material and be ready… Sona, what's wrong?"

At some point Sona had removed her glasses and put her palm to her face. This boy will surely be the death of her, via brain tumor. Nineteen months of tedious mental exercises, problem solving scenarios, _games, _and strategy meetings… all for him to enjoy breasts further. He did not care for his own life; or rather he did at the bare minimum just so he could return to his _porn!_

"What… will it convince you to think like that for me?" she ended up asking. There was no point in trying to understand his logic any further. There's a saying in the human world: if it works, why try and fix it?

He gave it some thought but shrugged at the end. "There really isn't any reason for me to think like that with you, Sona. Well… that's not entirely true. It's more like I _can't _think like that with you."

"…And why is that?" she asked through narrowed eyes.

"B-Because you'll get mad at me," he stuttered. "S-Sona, why do you want to do this so badly?"

She placed her glasses back on and answered clinically, "Because I do not know how much further we need to progress with you if I do not know the full extent of your capabilities. Our opponents are no longer just seven other beings capable of wiping out all life on the planet, but the majority of the supernatural political powers. We need you to be ready. So if it means the only way to see you grow is to reward you with… illicit material, then so be it. Then, if there is something you want that is within my power to grant, I will do what I can. Depending on what it is, I will be upset, but I will make do with my promise. Who knows, maybe in the long run these lessons will help you overcome the hurdle of mutual destruction should you run into the Fourth again."

They were quiet as Issei thought to himself. While she waited, Sona folded her hands into her lap while crossing her legs. She was astonished for the first time his eyes hadn't flickered to catch a panty-shot. It spoke of how deep in thought he was.

"…_Oppai,_" he said.

"Pardon?"

He gulped as his eyes looked hungrily towards her. "I-I would l-l-like to see… your breasts, S-S-Sona."

Sona became a little green. She thought she had been prepared and had run a few scenarios in her head. She had even considered worse possibilities than that he had just requested. Be that as it may, she couldn't help but feel a block of lead drop to her stomach when it came to light. For no matter how mature she was, Sona was still a teenage girl. And no one had seen her naked. Ever.

"Very well," she said calmly and fluently despite the cold sweat seeping throughout her face. "If you can defeat me once, I will grant just that. There will be no time limit, but I do press for you to try your hardest at every attempt. And be warned, I have never lost a single game, even against professional players."

Like _hell _she was going to give up her innocence so easily. Issei would have to work for it. It might have been unfair, but he didn't know any better. In the long run this would be beneficial to him as it would train him to match wits with his senior Predators. Now that he was going to try his hardest, and by the _drooling_ face he made she knew he was going to, Sona would be able to see his full potential and make an outline of his faults. From there, she can plan where to progress in his studies.

"Really?!" Issei asked in excitement.

"Yes," she gave a firm nod. "I always make do with my promises."

"Really, really?!"

"…Yes, Ise."

"Really, really, really?!"

"…"

"R-Right. Sorry."

They reset the board and began anew, forgoing the previously interrupted game. Sona made her first move, advancing with her knight just like last time. In response, Issei moved his adjacent knight forward.

There was an enormous difference in his skill after three moves. His eyes were sharply locked on the board, flickering to each square and piece on both sides. Whenever she moved, he responded almost immediately. Sometimes he would stop himself from touching one piece only to change his mind and move something else.

Ten moves in and she had yet to claim a single one of his pieces.

"Kaichou?" Tsubaki was the first to arrive at lunch break. Her eyes quickly spotted Issei and grew wide. "Kaichou, perhaps you should postpone your game with Hyoudou-kun… The others will be here in—"

"Tsubaki, not now," she muttered the command as she removed her glasses. Her eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right. Twelve, now thirteen moves in and Issei was forming a formidable defense while flanking a few of her pieces.

He was the first one to take a piece of hers.

She adjusted her strategy and tried to draw back her pieces. Issei pushed harder in pursuit but never overstepped his limits to fall for the traps she left hidden two to three moves ahead.

"Hello, Kaichou~" the Bishop Reya entered along with two others, the Knight Tomoe and Rook Tsubasa. "We've managed to finish the— O-oh…"

Upon seeing Hyoudou Issei, especially after learning of his triple existence as both the Red Dragon Emperor (or Red Blur to others) and Eighth Predator, both Reya and Tomoe immediately fled out of the room. Tsubasa however was curious and stayed to watch the game… at the very far back of the room.

It didn't stop her from pulling out her **Dragon Knight Heroes **themed notebook and a marker from her book bag. So what if her peers constantly mocked her for it, calling her a child always? She thought there was no hotter piece of ass on the planet other than the Red Blur, what with the way he gets all dirty with mud and sweat in his gruesome heroic duties. The anime could suck it. But there was nothing out there with the Red Blur's image other than his _stupid _anime character. This was probably the only chance she could get to have the _real _Red Blur sign an autograph.

Sona couldn't afford to pay it any attention. Twenty-nine moves in and she was being _pushed. _Her heart was racing. Before she could plan an entire game in her head and follow it through to the end without having to adjust her strategy. Issei had always been as open as a book. But now? Now she was lucky to be able to read three or four moves ahead.

With a single piece moved, the entire foundation of their game changed with it. But Sona was collective about her thoughts. Several engagement proposals had been able to push her this hard. Now wasn't too far off, but regardless in the end should she lose she would still have to give up her innocence. True she didn't offer her chastity, but Sona still had her pride and honor on the line.

She held nothing back as she found a gap in his defense.

He needed only move his bishop across the field. It meant nothing at first, but then when she gazed at the entirety of the field, she found she had been completely surrounded. He had left a few pieces as a vanguard to capture her attention, some in reservation to form a false defense to fool her, and the remainder had been stretched across the field in strategic places to surround her. As of right now, those separate pieces couldn't claim anything. But in two moves, whether he moved them or she moved any of hers anywhere, they could engulf her.

She had been played a fool. Whenever she moved on the assault he had moved those pieces away in the name of defense. She didn't see he had ulterior motives. She didn't expect him to be able to hide it so well.

"Sorry we're late, Kaichou," her most recent Pawn before Ayame, Saji, strolled in with the other Pawn Ruruko and Bishop Momo. "The student store was busy as always. But I know you don't like to hear that excuse so I'll eat while I… work… Kaichou?"

Ruruko immediately dropped her things and wrapped both her arms around one of Saji's. It was purely by instinct that she grabbed on to the one she admired. Momo also hitched her breath at the sight of quite possibly the most powerful Pawn in existence. Nonetheless, she shifted closer to the blonde Pawn and latched on to the sleeve of his shirt.

However, Saji couldn't understand what was going on. He only knew the room was frozen solid with all eyes locked on the game between his dear Kaichou and Kuoh's number one sexual harassment offender.

He was the only one of the group to not have watched the Rating Game. He had to make a decision between watching it like his King requested or studying for the history test he desperately needed to pass in order to keep up his GPA to stay in the student council. He chose studies instead, knowing Sona would be distraught with him but wouldn't condemn him about his choice.

"Did I… miss something?" he asked the Queen Tsubaki.

The spectacled Devil could only give him a look and gesture for him to be silent.

By this point, Sona was losing. And she knew it. Fifty-four moves into the game and she was gradually losing pieces. She had been able to take a few of Issei's, but not without heavy sacrifices on her end. What once was five moves per minute turned into one per minute. Most of her time was taken by planning and reevaluating her situation.

In her mind's eye she could see the great nexus of alternative paths she could take. And so far each of them resulted in bad ends. If she moved her pawn, she will lose her knight and bishop in three moves. If she moved her bishop, she will lose her queen in two. And if she moved her king, she will lose her rook in the next move and two of her pawns in the following.

She placed her fingers on the tip of her knight piece… but she couldn't move it. If she were to move it forward, she would have three of her pieces exposed. If she moved it to his flank, it would leave her vanguard open. And if she moved it to retreat, there would seal her own fate in the following three moves.

No matter what she would do, several of her pieces would be lost with only a small number of Issei's removed.

She was going to lose. This was inevitable and she knew it. She was only drawing out as much time as possible. Because she knew what was going to happen once she officially lost. Even if a meteor were to crash down and strike at the center of the table, both Sona and Issei knew that he had already won. They were only going forward for the sake of formality.

She wondered for a brief moment if this feeling of drowning in defeat was what Issei felt for the past nineteen months whenever they played this game.

…She also wondered for how long he had been able to push back like this.

There was a saying about throwing a dog a bone that came to mind…

However, there was nothing she could do. There was a gasp louder than thunder when she flicked her king piece off its side in surrender. The silence following was uncomfortable.

Frustrated, she gave a heavy sigh and pressed two fingers against her temple. She was just lying to herself at this point. She never expected him to defeat her this early. She thought she would at least have time to prepare, weeks at the least! She wasn't emotionally ready to give up her innocence like this!

She would never be able to get married once Hyoudou Issei saw… her…

Shit. If _anyone _ever found out she lost in a chess match… If her _sister _ever found out she lost… Serafall would never let it down. She would probably harass Sona to no end about meeting her chosen husband, asking about the wedding date, and when to expect a little niece.

"I WON!" Issei leapt several feet into the air out of joy. "I can't believe it! I finally beat Sona in a game of— Oh. Uh. Hello everyone."

That's right, Sona realized. The majority of her peerage was supposed to arrive during lunch to go over the footage of last night's Rating Game. She had instructed everyone to watch it and take notes while they review everything within the next few days. It was one of the reasons why she wanted Issei to attend to share his input and perhaps offer some advice to her peerage. But she had been so engrossed in (_losing_) the chess game she hadn't paid much attention of her surroundings.

The Sitri Peerage was frozen where they stood. Well, with the exception of Saji. He muttered something about 'Kaichou marrying Hyoudou' and then passed out with Ruruko and Momo trying to tend to him.

"Wha… What's wrong?" he asked allowed.

"C-Congratulations… Hyoudou-san…" Tsubaki fixed the glasses that almost fell off the bridge of her nose. She had difficulty forming any other words.

"Y-Yeah…" Tsubasa was in the same boat as she couldn't believe what she had just seen. She thought when it came to chess her King was invincible. Apparently Issei was as smart as he was strong. "I didn't think Kaichou could ever lose… to anyone…"

"Let's look at this as a lesson," Sona stood up and went to Issei's side… and then proceeded to scoot a few inches _away _as she did her best to hide her blush. "There is always a first for everything."

"So Sona!" Issei bounced on his heels like a child as he directed his every focus onto her. It made her step back until her back was to the wall. "I won! Does this mean I get to see your—"

"NOT HERE!" she shrieked with her face turning impossibly red. She cleared her throat as she attempted to recollect herself. She stood regal and poised, yet could do nothing against the shade of red her face had concocted. "When the time is… appropriate I will notify you. Please understand I will need… time for… preparations. I was… wasn't expecting you to… so suddenly…"

By the Chthonian beasts of the Outer Realms, she was stuttering like some sort of first-year school girl with her first crush.

Tsubasa was suddenly between the two. She eyed them both like a mischievous cat. "Oh hoh? See your _what, _Kaichou? Did you promise Hyoudou-sama something naughty thinking he couldn't beat our undefeatable president at her own game?"

Sona did not dignify that with an answer.

"…'sama'?" questioned Issei.

"Well, whatever," Tsubasa paid her King no mind as she turned her attention on her target of desire. Her eyes flashed as bright as stars as she handed him her notebook and marker. "Reddobura-dono, I've been a _huge _fan of yours since you first started to appear on television. Please forgive me for the notebook as the anime does not do your character justice, but will you please sign this for me?"

Issei was completely thrown off-guard as he looked at the articles she handed him. He continued to stare at the cover that had a satisfactorily drawn Issei in his Balance Breaker armor and a glittery pattern extending out of his back that made up his Gift of Flight. The cover was chromed out to make his red plating and green emeralds shine radiantly in the light.

After a moment to gather his self, he shrugged and went along with it. He uncapped the permanent marker and signed, as Tsubasa had called him, _Reddobura._

It probably would have been weird if she showed the notebook to her friends with the signature reading 'Hyoudou Issei'. Perhaps in the Underworld it would have been valuable, but in the human realm no one outside the supernatural circle knew about his identity. Especially his high school peers.

Regardless, Tsubasa accepted it as a prized treasure and clutched it close to her chest after admiring it. "You know, Hyoudou-sama, I always did think you were kinda cute. But you were always such a pervert I was afraid you would do something if I approached you. But now that I know you're Reddobura-dono… Hmmm, I don't think I would mind."

Issei was rendered a gaping fish at her confession.

"Of course," Tsubasa sighed as her eyes shifted over to Sona, "only if I have Kaichou's permission to borrow you from her."

Sona was _not _amused.

"…I would think you'd need Buchou's permission instead," Issei replied with a clueless expression. "Why would you need Sona's…?"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo!" screamed Saji as he sat up with a jolt. He was panting and had broken out into a cold sweat. "K-Kaichou. I don't know what happened but I must have passed out. I had the worst dream imaginable."

"…You should probably leave, Ise," Sona eventually grounded out. "You haven't had lunch yet. Please be here tomorrow so I can go over your duties from now on."

"Yes, Sona…" Issei sighed, gathered his things, and made his way for the exit. She didn't forget that he was still in trouble. And she'll more than likely hold it above his head for quite some time.

Let it be known Sona is not a sore-loser.

Really.

Sona closed the door and leaned against it as soon as Issei was gone. There were only a few minutes left of lunch so there wasn't any point in going over the footage of the Rating Game today. She might as well get some paperwork done instead.

"G-Guys… it was just a dream… right…?" Saji looked at his fellow Pieces with worry.

No one dared to respond.

"…This does not leave this room, are we all clear?" Sona demanded of her servants with the charisma of a King. She could not afford to let the idea that someone had bested her in a game of chess. Her family would hound her about it to no end.

"Yes, Kaichou!" everyone obeyed her order without question.

"Wait, what?!"

…Except Saji, who had yet to make terms with reality.

"K-Kaichou… you're not… he didn't… what is… K-Kaiiicchhhooouuuuuu!"

And then proceeded to cry all over the floor.

*Scene*

"You did _what _against Sona?!" Rias couldn't believe what she was hearing.

It was a few hours after school; the sun was setting as members of the Occult Research Club were gathering for their Devil duties. The room had been put back together at some point and with it everyone sat in their respective places. Rias sat behind her desk with her elbows propped against the surface as she listened intently. Akeno served everyone a freshly made brew of tea with her usual mirthful smile. Asia and Issei sat close together on one couch; the former trying to go over the notes she made on her first day of school while the latter shared his story to everyone else. Yuuto sat across of them, his legs crossed and nodding every so often as if he were listening, but there was a distant look in his eyes that told them otherwise.

…And Koneko sitting upon Issei's lap as she munched away some leftover cake.

She still hadn't forgiven him for what he had done earlier in the day, but after Akeno commenting on how lucky she was to have had Issei's attention instead of her Koneko brightened up a tad bit and chose he was… tolerable enough to be sat upon. And sat she did.

He made for an excellent couch cushion.

"Yeah, she wanted to know why I put my all in the Rating Game and then demanded I do the same thing to her in a game of chess," Issei went on with his story. "At first I tried to refuse but she wouldn't take no for an answer. So we came to an agreement. If I beat her than I could look at her oppai! So of course I would try my hardest! And I won!"

"…You're repulsive," Koneko said between bites.

Issei immediately began to cry. "I'm sorry, Koneko-chan. I can't help it. Boobs are my one weakness."

It only irritated Koneko further as she pressed her hands against her chest. No matter how much milk she drank she was still so small compared to cows like Rias and Akeno. It wasn't fair. If she had bigger boobs she could convince Issei to buy her more snacks.

"Mou, Ise…" Asia pouted and puckered her lips. "If you want to see breasts so much you could have just asked me…"

"Honestly…" Rias pouted herself as she brought the cup of tea to her lips. She then muttered too low for anyone else to hear, "Weren't mine enough for you? You had to go after Sona as well?"

"My, oh my," Akeno was the only one to laugh. "It seems Sona-kaichou has joined the party. Better late than never. But I'm worried my title as onee-sama is on the line… Oh dear…"

"Akeno-oneesama will always be my onee-sama!" argued Issei with enthusiasm. It earned him a heartfelt smile from the Queen.

"…No more."

"Huh?" Issei looked down at the Nekomata sitting at his lap.

She glared up at him. "…I won't forgive Ise-sama if more join the party."

He had _no _idea what Akeno and Koneko had been talking about.

"…Idiot," Koneko muttered below her breath as she read his thoughts and went back to her third cake.

Little did anyone know, or perhaps they had simply forgotten, Issei was able to hear every single word they said to themselves. He did have better hearing than any other human as a draconian being. But he also knew there would be hell to pay if he ever responded to things not meant for him to hear and so kept quiet.

Not out of common sense, but because his unworldly instincts as a Predator were telling him of the apocalyptic threat just around the corner should he open his mouth. He didn't understand _why _but didn't argue against it either.

"So, Ise-kun," Akeno walked around the couch and leaned over to get close to him. "You do know Sona-kaichou was something of a Predator in terms of chess, right? If you beat her just to see her breasts… does that mean you're willing to shoot for the stars to do _anything _with mine?"

"A… A… A-Anything?!" he had managed to spit the word out after choking.

"An-y-thing~" she teased further and added a wink.

Issei didn't respond as nothing but white filled his eyes. He picked Koneko up, placed her down beside him, stood, and paced towards the window. He did not say a word nor did anyone else question what he was doing.

He opened it, placed one foot at the windowsill, and activated his Gift of Flight. "Onee-sama! I-I-I just need to bring you a star, right?!"

"Well, it's only a saying, Ise-kun," Akeno laughter was like a chime of bells to him. "You don't have to _literally _shoot for the stars."

"Besides," Rias slammed the window shut with a tick-mark twitching on her brow. She didn't care that she crushed the little _player's _foot. "A star is hundreds of light-years away. You'll never be able to reach the nearest one even with your extended life as a Devil."

Issei sat on the floor as he massaged his crumpled toes. "B-Buchou! Ten minutes! Give me ten minutes and I can grab a star! Give me half an hour and I'll grab one for you too if you want one. B-But wait… would that mean I could… with Buchou's breasts?!"

"Ise, I'm telling you it's impossible," she spoke in a patient tone. She admired his tenacity, respected it even, but she so wished he wasn't such a leech most of the time. But she also enjoyed these moments with him. They have been so few as of late; she was glad they got to behave like a normal group of teenagers.

Teenagers with supernatural powers and one that could decimate the surface of the planet, but teenagers still.

"But I'm telling you I _can_!" he continued to argue like a child. He had yet to turn off his Gift of Flight. "My Balance Breaker can let me survive deep space for up to an hour! It'll keep me warm, reflect the radiation, and there's enough air inside to last that long! I only need half that time! I'll only need ten minutes at Earth's orbit to chart my course and map out the stars so I can find my way back to the planet!"

He still didn't get the concept that it would take light, the fastest known thing in the entire universe, to reach the nearest star in hundreds of years. And he was saying he could do it under an _hour_?

Simultaneously, they didn't know what it meant to wield the wings of a Primordial Dragon Lord that was the Gift of Flight. They didn't understand how they traveled _through _the dimensions of Space with only the wielder's personal limitations as its own. They didn't understand that so long as Issei could directly see it he could appear before his desired location as fast as his mind could cope.

It was how he traveled around the world so fast. He merely flew out of orbit, cycled around the world, and shot back down in a flash.

"Ise.." Rias decided to humor him at least a little, "Let's say you _can _reach a star and get back to earth in half an hour… Stars are just burning balls of gases. Most of them at least the size of our little blue planet, some dozens the size of the sun. There's nothing for you to grab and bring back."

"Oh yeah huh…" he slumped down in defeat and deactivated his wings. "I'm sorry Onee-sama, I won't be able to get you your star."

Akeno giggled, "It's the thought that counts, Ise-kun. Here's for at least trying."

"Huh? What are you— Whhhoooooooaaaaaaaaa!"

Akeno knelt down, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her breasts against his back. The soft sensation blew Issei's mind away. Quite literally. The feeling was so powerful it had only been amplified by his sensitive draconian body. There was only so much his mind could try and register before it began to fry itself. Something broke. Something began to bleed. And that excessive blood had nowhere else to go but down his sinuses and drip down his nose.

He would have been dead had he not been more dragon than Devil. Then again, had he been more Devil instead he wouldn't have been bleeding in the first place.

Worse, no one seemed to be bothered at all that blood was always gushing out of him whenever something like this happened. It was only a rumor that blood will shoot out whenever a pervert is overstimulated. It doesn't happen in the real world. Yet they didn't question it once whenever it happened to Issei.

As always, Rias pretended to have not noticed, "_Did _you manage to see Sona's…?"

Issei blinked and came back to the land of the living solemnly due to his King's question. "Ah, no, I couldn't. But I know Sona will keep her word. I'll wait until the end of the world for it if I have to!"

"Ise, I want you to refuse Sona once she approaches you about that," Rias ordered as she moved back to her desk.

"WHAT?!" Issei was in front of the desk faster than anyone could blink. Tears began to swell in the corner of his eyes. "B-But Bucchhhoooouuuuu…"

She sighed. Today was going to be one of those days. "You shouldn't make a woman promise something like that. A girl's body is something sacred. It's one thing to see someone's breasts, but another if you back them into a corner and make them expose themselves. Don't you agree seeing something willingly given is more beautiful than something forced?"

Issei whimpered, but he didn't argue against her.

"I'm not ordering you to do anything," she continued in her usual patient tone. "Whatever goes on between you and Sona is between the two of you. But I _expect _you to make the right choice when the time comes."

"Like taking responsibility for your actions," Akeno squeezed in with a coy smile.

Both Koneko and Rias gave her a dirty look.

Unfortunately the meaning behind her words completely blew over Issei's head. "Yes… Buchou…" He slid to his knees and banged his head on the edge of her desk a few times before falling into a crying fit.

"Speaking of taking responsibility," Rias leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. "Don't think I didn't hear about your little escapade earlier today."

"Haven't I suffered enough?!" He looked up at her with pleading eyes and streams of tears falling off his chin.

"No," a chorus of Rias, Akeno, and Koneko replied in their individual tones. Stern, sadistic, and furious respectively.

"I want you to approach every one of those first-years and apologize to them," she instructed. "This isn't up for negotiation. You can start with Koneko here."

"Hmm… That's a good one," mused Akeno. "Perhaps it'll teach him something about respect. But I'm a little disappointed. I was hoping for something a bit more… grievous."

"Onee-sama, I'm right here," Issei looked at her as though he had been betrayed.

She returned his gaze with a lovely and joyous smile. "Yes, I know."

"Go on, Ise," pushed Rias.

Issei cleaned his face with the sleeve of his (Yuuto's) shirt and approached Koneko. The small white-haired girl looked up at him with her large auburn eyes, filled with high expectations. Eyes that said should those high expectations not be reached a terrible fate awaited him.

He was not intimidated by such a glance. He needn't be. He gave a deep bow and spoke with sincerity, "I'm sorry Koneko-chan. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm a terrible senior who had taken advantage of his junior! You had every right to be mad at me. I've made a promise to never do it… _sniff… _again…"

With his head still bowed, they all watched as more tears began to drip off his face. He was _seriously _crying heavily over the fact he won't peep on girls ever again.

The members of the Occult Research Club sweatdropped in unison. They all gravely underestimated how tremendous of a pervert Issei was. It was in his core. To go against it was to make his soul bleed.

Koneko puckered her lips. Truth be told, she didn't mind that Issei had peeped on her. A part of her was delighted he had found her attractive enough to be a part of his debauch rituals. However, she was upset he had brought his friends along.

If it was just him, she would have pretended to not have noticed and continued to undress. Maybe even shower if he was still there after class. Perhaps it would have given her more points than Akeno and Asia and gotten her a bit closer to Issei.

"…Wouldn't mind… if only you…" she muttered too low for anyone to hear.

"Huh?" Issei lifted his head in bewilderment, yet the tears still fell. He had been able to hear what she said but couldn't believe it.

She denied it, "…I said Issei-sempai shouldn't do those things… idiot."

"I promise, Koneko-chan," Issei stood up right. "From now on I'm going to be the best senior I can be."

"…Idiot," she repeated and went back to licking the frosting off the strawberries.

"Now that that's out of the way," Rias spoke up as she looked through a few files of papers. "We need to be getting to work. The Sitri Peerage had been taking care of our clients since we went on the training camp. Most of the new clients didn't mind but some of the repeats were a little disappointed. So I need you all to go out there and win back their affections."

"Yes, Buchou!" the experienced Devils of the peerage responded.

Asia raised her hand, "What about me, Buchou? I don't know how to make contracts with clients. Do I… s-suck out their souls after we make a deal? Should I bring a straw or something?"

Everyone stared at the former nun long enough for her to shrink out of the discomfort.

"We… We don't deal in the trading of souls, Asia," Rias had some difficulty trying to find the way of correcting her misguided interpretations. "It's quite simple, actually. You go in, greet the client, ask for their wish, punch it into the app I installed on your phone, and then go from there. The instructions will be on there. Even someone like Issei was able to figure it out on his first trip."

"Oi!" resented the aforementioned Pawn. "Hey wait a minute! I had to spend two weeks handing out fliers and slipping them into mailboxes! What gives?!"

"Normally I would have you or Yuuto escort her around town doing just that," answered Rias. "However we're a little backed up, even with the assistance we got from Sona's peerage. We need as much manpower as possible and in this state I decided to promote Asia out of necessity."

She gave him a smile. A smile that told him something else. It told him she simply liked Asia more than she liked him.

Three seconds after receiving that psychic message, Issei was found sulking in the corner while drawing inarticulate letters on the rug.

"Akeno, is there something simple we can give Asia for her first client?" Rias completely ignored Issei as she turned towards her Queen.

With a magic circle floating above her palm, Akeno read the list of potential clients who had used the Devils' sigil as soon as the sun set. "Oh, I believe I have a few. Let's see… There's a lonely old man in the upper district who only wants some company. Koneko-chan and Kiba-kun have taken contracts from him a few times. Yes, I think this will be perfect for our gentle Bishop."

"Would this be someone the two of you would recommend to Asia?" Rias looked at her Bishop and Knight. Koneko nodded, but Yuuto continued to stare off into the distance. "Yuuto? Hello?"

"Hm?" Yuuto blinked and looked over at his King. "Oh. Yes, I think I know who Akeno's talking about. He's given me a few decorative swords and Koneko-chan some exotic sweets."

"…Belgium chocolates," Koneko elaborated with large eyes. She looked like a playful kitten who had gotten a small sample of catnip.

"So you also recommend this one, Yuuto?" asked Rias, keeping a closer eye on her Knight.

The Knight responded with an assured nod. "Yes, but, Asia-chan, just for a heads up… No. I think you'll like the surprise better if you see it for yourself. But, well, let's just say I thought only Buchou's family was that rich…"

However, Asia still looked a little worried. "Um… Buchou… I think I would be a little more comfortable if I had someone accompany me. I know we're a little busy, but I think I can do much better on my own later if someone shows me how Devils deal."

Rias gave a small smile, "Fair enough. But who to send…?"

Akeno spoke up, "I'm afraid the only one we can afford without getting further behind would be Issei. Most of the clients are repeats of Koneko-chan and Kiba-kun's. Plus I have a request to cleanse a haunted house. Unless you can accompany her instead…?"

Rias sighed as she looked at the papers sprawled across her desk. "I can't… I have all this paperwork to catch up on. All right. Issei, I need you to go with Asia and guide her. Just remember this is her client."

"Yes, Buchou!" like the bipolar child that he was, Issei was on his feet and eager to move out. "But since I can't use the circle, should I fly us there or use my bike?"

"Your bike," she instructed. "It's how you've gotten to your clients always, so why change it? Just make sure to take care of Asia and not let her fall off."

"Don't worry Buchou, Asia, my Riding Skill is at Rank EX!" He puffed his chest out and stuck up his head in pride. "I'm not called the Dragoon without reason."

"…Right," Rias wasn't sure what to say about that. "If that's everything, move out. We're going to have a few busy nights until we catch up. I need everyone to work their hardest."

"Yes, Buchou!"

*Scene*

"Sorry you have to ride like this, Asia," Issei said as they zoomed down the dark streets.

Asia was astonished with how graceful of a rider Issei was. She didn't need to adjust her balance in the slightest as she sat on the baggage rack on the back of his bicycle. The device didn't wobble whenever he pedaled and he didn't throw her off with the turns he made.

She didn't hold on to him for safety. She knew he wouldn't do anything to put her in any danger. Asia held on to him because she simply wanted to.

"No, this is nice, Ise. This is like a date…" she said with something of a sad smile. Now that they were alone she could afford her emotions to slip through. Asia always put up a smile because she knew Issei would be concerned if she wasn't. But lately she'd been having difficulty keeping the smile he loved so much.

Desiring to be closer to the one she loved more than anything, she scooted forward, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed as much of her body against his back as possible.

The bike wobbled once at the surprise embrace. "A-Asia…?"

"Ise…" her grip tightened. "It's not fair that you look at everyone else like that but not me. Am I… Am I not pretty enough?"

Their ride came to a screeching halt.

"W-What?!" Issei turned his head around by her blasphemous words. "No! I-I mean— Asia, you're beautiful. I'm _always _looking at you like— I mean… That is…"

He felt a bit of shame for having confessed. He always stole glances at Asia. She was gorgeous, she was attractive, and by the great gods of debauchery he _wanted _to cross that line and just take her to bed. But he always stopped himself from thinking things he normally would about any other girl. There was a part of him that left him feeling guilty for doing so. Things had changed since that night in the training camp.

He was terrified she wouldn't like it. No girl ever did with him. They would always get mad and treat him like the worst in existence. He wouldn't know what to do if she began to treat him the same way. Asia was the first to say she loved him and _meant _it.

Raynare hadn't loved him.

Rias had lied about him.

But Asia stood by his side. She wanted to be with him always. He had believed if he learned to control himself and not objectify her she would want to continue to stay.

Apparently, he had been wrong.

Asia didn't understand. "You always enjoy whenever Akeno-san gives you attention, y-y-you spied on Koneko-chan when she was dressing, made a deal to see Sona-kaichou's b-breasts, and you h-h-h-h-h-had— _that, _did that with Buchou… again…

"I'm supposed to be Ise's… and yet Ise hasn't done anything with me…"

She had thought she made a large step in progress since the training camp. But it seemed to have had the adverse effect, with her taking a large step _backwards._

He swung one leg around without tipping the bike over just so he could turn around fully to look at her. There was a look of fierce determination in his eyes. It was not the hungry look he had whenever he looked at breasts. It was something with depth, something with passion, something with purpose.

His hands gripped her arms in a firm yet gentle hold. She saw his cheeks begin to glow as nerves began to make his tongue twist. "A-Asia is… the m-most important person to me. I love her, very much. I don't know what I would do without her. Asia, you are beautiful with the biggest heart out of anyone I have ever met.

"B-But I'm a coward. I don't do those things with Asia because I'm worried you'll get mad at me. Everyone else always has. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to do anything that will endanger what we have right now. I'm scared that anything I do will make me lose you. But… you're right. I haven't been… y-yours like I should have.

"S-So which is w-why… I-I will do something that will show h-how much I l-l-love Asia…

"And stop me if you don't feel the same way…"

His grip tightened, almost painfully so. But she watched instead with wide eyes as his face flushed bright red in the moonlight as he leaned forward. Centimeter by centimeter. His eyes were almost just as wide, filled to the brim with fear and uncertainty.

She realized what he was trying to do. Her eyes began to water as her face began to crimson just as much. Excitement filled her as she welcomed this closure.

Her heart skipped a beat when their noses touched.

He stopped, still cautious and worried he had overstepped his bounds.

She eased his burden and closed the gap herself.

Their lips touched for only a second; a small peck as though to sample what it was like. So close, they watched another to see if any of them both were wrong in what they were doing. Asia loved Issei more than anything. And Issei loved her just as much. This message was relayed to the both of them.

They kissed again, this time longer and filled with such love it hurt when they separated.

Asia began to cry.

"A-A-A-Asia, what's wrong?!" Issei panicked, believing his heart had been wrong and he had done something unforgiveable. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

"No, Isssssseeeeeeee," she cried further. "I'm just so happy!"

A grand weight was lifted off his chest. He wrapped his arms around her body in a tender embrace. Asia clutched close to his chest and let the tears fall, rambling how much she loved him. Some of her cries were mixed in and had distorted her words, but Issei had understood. He held her close and stroked her hair.

This was his Asia.

This was her Issei.

They remained like that for some time.

*Scene*

"Asia…" they walked through the gates of the manor of their client hand-in-hand. Upper district, indeed. Issei had the money to purchase the land and building, but didn't have the means to keep it maintained. The garden was spacious enough for them to need a few minutes of walking to reach the front door. "When the weekend comes… let's go on a date. I'll take you wherever you want to go."

Asia smiled. It was far more radiant than any other he had seen before. He had never seen her this happy, and, perhaps, Asia had never been this happy given the course of her life. "I would like that… very much."

When they were near, they let go yet kept at the same distance.

They needn't have to wait. As soon as they were a few meters away, the double decker doors opened wide with a—

"Gwak!" Issei made a noise as blood began to drip down his nose.

—A maid in her late twenties or early thirties greeted them in a frilly uniform typically found in an adult-themed store. It hugged her body, left the skirt short enough to see every inch of her thighs, and bodice cut to expose a large quantity of her cleavage. She had a heart-shaped face with pale skin, crystal-clear blue eyes, and long blonde hair that was tied back in an elaborate weave. She was a real foreign beauty.

She also looked uncomfortable with the way she had difficulty looking at the two approaching Devils.

As though acting against her will, she gave a creaky curtsey. However, she bowed in such a way words failed to describe the wonders that was her bosom.

Issei was trying his _damnest _to keep his focus locked on her eyes. He made a promise to Sona, Koneko, and indirectly Asia that he would _try _to stop being a pervert. He was succeeding thus far.

But the strain was making his nose bleed more.

"G-Good evening," the maid spoke with a heavy British accent. She tried to smile, but it looked more like a sneer with the way her lips refused to lift. "The master has been expecting you. If you will please follow me…"

She didn't wait for them to follow her. The mystery maid turned on her heels and retreated inside the building.

With her gone, Issei fell to his knees as he no longer had to suppress his God-given nature. He wondered if this was the punishment the gods of debauchery had cursed him with for making such a promise.

Was it a crime to surrender perversity in the name of love?!

"Ise, are you hurt? You've been bleeding a lot more lately…" Asia asked in concern but didn't know what to do. Still, she put her hand on his head and activated Twilight Healing.

"Ah, no, I'm fine, Asia," Issei stood up and patted his pants clean. "Nothing to worry about. Come on, we shouldn't keep them waiting."

He wouldn't be able to survive a second round. He decided if he was going to be confronted by that maid again he would keep his eyes locked somewhere else. Even if it meant he had to turn his back to her. Far too rude than what he wanted, but it might have to be the only way.

The entrance was filled with as much grandeur as the outside garden. Twin staircases cycled parallel to each other leading to the next floor, the floor was in marbled tiles so sleek he could see his own reflection, and a large chandelier hung above his head.

The majority of things seemed to be crafted out of glass. Such as the rails of the stairs, the frames for portraits, the doorknobs, to even the suits of armors and blades of different cultures that decorated the main foyer. But something wasn't right. Glass was never this… immaculate.

"Wow~" Asia danced around admiring every piece decorating the main entrance. "It's so pretty!"

Issei tapped a finger on the breast plate of one suit of armor. He immediately began to sweat bullets.

Diamond. Pure, clean cut, _diamond. _Whoever had this suit crafted had to have struck a mine fit only for the gods to have been able to cut a large enough diamond into several units to shape a medieval knight. Was it even possible to find diamonds large enough to cut and stick them together like this?!

Who the hell has the _money _to do something like this?!

Was this the 'surprise' Yuuto had mentioned?

"Please, this way," the voice of the maid called from further down one of the hallways.

They were led through another set of double doors and into a large dining area… one just as ludicrously decorated. Diamonds were everywhere, naturally. From the _three _chandeliers hanging above the _diamond table, _to the candelabras lined against the wall, to even the utensils and plating. The only thing not made out of diamond was the floor, the flowers lining the center of the table, and the chairs.

The chairs were made out of wood with cushions. Issei was glad he didn't have to sit on super hard rock.

The nameless maid gestured for the two of them to take a seat. She began to speak in monotone as though having rehearsed it for hours on end. "Please wait here until the master arrives. Would you like any refreshments while you wait? Sherry, please bring—"

There was a clatter of objects hitting the ground that was heard throughout the vast room. Issei turned around to see a girl Asia's height but probably Koneko's age. She was also dressed in maid attire, but hers was far more modest and professional as it covered up to her collar and a long skirt that reached her ankles. She was just coming out of one of a swinging door that presumably led to the kitchens. She had dropped a (surprise) diamond tray that had been carrying a variety of bottled drinks that were now shattered all over the floor.

If Issei could sum up a good way to describe her, he would only need to use the word 'silver'. She had long silver hair, stunning silver eyes, and a pale complexion.

Those silver eyes were wide as they only focused on Issei's. She stood frozen as her mouth slowly began to open.

She picked up the hem of her skirt and began to trot towards him. That trotting soon grew into a hurried jog.

Without further warning, she crashed into his torso and wrapped her arms around him.

Issei hadn't sense any threats coming from this girl. But he had no idea how to react to such an action otherwise.

The nameless adult maid watched for a moment with a sorrowful expression. "Please forgive her. Ay— Sherry was recently separated by her older brother. One might say you look just like him, young man. I hope her actions have not offended you."

"Oh…" came both Issei and Asia.

Issei readdressed the young girl burying herself in him. Almost out of instinct, he put one hand at her back and another to pat her head. "It's okay. I understand. Sherry, right? I lost my younger sister not too long ago…"

The young maid lifted her head. She had been crying and had stained his uniform. But he didn't mind. He offered her a sympathetic smile and patted her head more tenderly.

The back of his mind told him of the upcoming… minor danger.

Her expression changed immediately to pure anger. She backed away and kicked his shin with as much effort she could muster. It did nothing to him. Her face contorted in pain but she bit her lip and refused to show suffering. She glared longer at him until she broke off running out of the dining area.

"S-Sherry!" the older maid shouted at her in anger. But instead of reprimanding her, she turned back to the two Devils. "I am terribly so sorry for her behavior. I promise you she will be disciplined accordingly so I beg you to pardon her."

"Y-You don't need to go that far," Issei tried to wave it off. "Stuff like this happens to me all the time. Buchou and Sona keep saying it's my fault… So I'm going to have to say it's my fault again this time…"

He gave a heavy sigh.

The nameless maid wanted to say more, but the chime of a bell came from the kitchens. She resigned against further argument and spoke, "Please excuse me, I must tend to placing tonight's meal. Feel free to sit wherever you like. And pardon the mess Sherry made; I shall have someone come to clean this up immediately."

She bowed, clicked on her heels, and retreated into the kitchens.

Though, Issei didn't move from his spot. His eyes were locked in the direction the younger maid had run off to. He honestly didn't know what to think about her…

Asia came to his side and slid her fingers between his. She gave him a comforting squeeze.

Minutes later, as the two of them sat together at one end of the table, a third maid had appeared in the same scandalous attire as the first. And, like the first, Issei tried his hardest to not ogle her. She was another blonde, blue-eyed foreign girl, but the differences between the two made them almost like night and day. Her hair was cropped short, wild, and barely touched her shoulders. And her skin was tanned. While the first maid had an intense look of displeasure in her clothes, this one had a blank if not comfortable look.

She didn't say a word as she cleaned up the mess Sherry had made. She stopped at one point to stare back at Issei. The draconian Devil didn't know what to do and so decided to just wave at her. Her response was to give a wink.

It wasn't an expressive one, like the teasing sort he received from Akeno. It was more like she simply blinked with one eye. It wasn't forced but… wasn't natural either.

She returned to the kitchens as soon as her chore was done.

A minute after that, the two maids returned with carts full of plates covered in silver domes. In synchronized unity, they placed the food before the two Devils but didn't uncover them. They took a few steps back and bowed their heads.

Issei heard a soft clatter of feet as the double doors opened on their own. A tall figure strolled in, fixing the bindings of his leather gloves. He was dressed in a fine black suit and tie so perfectly tailored it articulated both his wealth and powerful physique. Under his arms was a wooden cane with a gold tip and a shimmering diamond grip in the shape of a dragon's head.

He was middle-aged, quite handsome for someone his age. The way he presented himself as well as how he moved did not flaunt his wealth, but rather voiced a gentle, almost grandfatherly nature. He had platinum blonde hair that may have just been whitening due to the time, a neatly trimmed beard, and the sharpest of steel-blue eyes Issei had seen.

Of course, he had seen such eyes before.

They belonged to Ludwig von Siegfried; Second Predator, the Dragon Slayer.

Issei was out of his chair and directly in front of Asia to shield her. Two gauntlets and a pair of greaves appeared at his command. His power spiked as he was prepared to retaliate at any given chance.

His priority first was to get Asia away.

Ludwig did not react further from a small glance. His attention returned to the remaining strap on his glove before gripping on to the end of his cane. When he brought it down to support him, he released a small breath of relief and continued to move to the other side of the table.

Without a further word, he pulled back his own seat and sat down.

Issei kept his eyes on the cane. It was just as dangerous to him as was the Dragon Slayer.

Ludwig gave one look to one of his maids and beckoned for her come. The lighter one moved to his side, to which he handed his cane over to her and had her return to her place.

Issei refused to acknowledge the sign Ludwig was trying to make. He pulled Asia to her feet and pushed her behind him as he steadily moved them both towards the door. He made sure to keep himself between Asia and the Second Predator.

"…Must we?" grossed Ludwig as he folded his hands across the table.

Issei stopped moving at the question. "Yes. What do you _think _you're doing here in _my _territory?!"

"I-Ise…" Asia grabbed the back of his school jacket. She was shivering. The amount of killing intent he was unleashing was scaring her. She hadn't felt such a presence about him since Ayame was still alive. "What's going on? Who is he?"

A perverse mix of disappointment and amusement came across Ludwig's face. He stood, which made Issei more on edge. "Forgive this foolish old man on his manners, little lady. I am Ludwig von Siegfried, current Head of Clan Siegfried Germania, Knight of Honor to Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth XXIII, Lord Archduke of the Celestial Sanctum, and Lord Archmage of the Magic Association's Institute of Divine Magistrate of Wales… and your esteemed host for this evening.

"But to Master Hyoudou, I am Second Predator, hailed as the Dragon Slayer. It is my honor to meet you."

He placed a hand over his heart and gave a deep bow of utmost respect, never once looking away from the two of them.

The grip on Issei's jacket let go.

"…Why?"

Ludwig's expression did not change. It remained as charming and welcoming as it had been since he had first appeared. As though it was frozen on his face. As though he knew long in advance the question would come.

Asia put her hands on the arm Issei had used to push her back. She fought against the boy she loved _because _she loved him. For the first time in her life, Asia had felt frustrated. Angry even. The dark thoughts she thought never existed inside her began to swirl and rise inside her chest.

"Why did you do it?" she asked a little louder. "Why did you have to make Issei suffer like that? Why did you kill his parents? Why did you make him fight when he didn't want to? Why did you go after the people he loves now? Why? Why?! WHY?!

"Why did Nakashima-san have to die?!" she shrieked as the emotions took the better of her. She collapsed to her knees with Issei quickly catching her. The tears couldn't stop. Nor did she. "Ayame-chan meant _everything _to Issei! And you took her! You took her from him! Why?! Why did someone he loved so much have to die?! What does it _mean _to be a Predator?!

"Aren't you all heroes?! Aren't you supposed to save the world?! I don't understand why you had to kill her! There was nothing wrong with her! She was just a little girl! So tell me… please! Why did you…"

She couldn't breathe she was crying so hard. Issei tried to pull her up, but she resisted. She didn't want to leave like how he wanted. She needed to be here. She needed to confront the one responsible for delivering such a wound to her Issei.

She won't leave until she got an answer.

Ludwig was no longer smiling. He stood erect with his hands behind his back. At the same time, he wasn't grimacing over her ire. The gentleman was nothing but a stoic face, completely blank of any emotion.

He waited patiently for her to stop sobbing enough for his next words to be heard.

"It was supposed to be you. Only you."

There was no emotion in his voice. He stated a fact as though it was common sense to the general public. The sun was bright. The sky was blue. Water is wet. Asia Argento was meant to die.

"I could tell you…" he went on in the same tone he used to make the room as hushed as the dead. "…Of how I was against it. Of how I argued with Serene endlessly. Of how I severed my ties with Sir Rolan for it. Of how I tried to go against the both of them. Of how I used my influence to have the Church quietly settle your 'accident'.

"I could tell you there was nothing I could do, for it was my queen who ordered me to let it all happen. I could tell you how Rolan used his influence on Princess Elizabeth XXIV as her Knight of Honor to speak with her mother. I could tell you to go against such orders were to betray the woman I love and to be deemed a traitor to the country I swore an oath for.

"I could tell you these things…" In an elegant move he reseated himself and propped his hands on the table. "But such words are rubbish when they speak of only the past. I am here now to speak of the present and future. I am here to make amends with a lad who once called me his mentor and friend. Will you do this old man a kindness and listen to his ramblings, Miss Argento?"

Asia heard every word and repeated them in her head. But she was still so upset she couldn't tell whether he had been sincere at all or had been lying.

However, she knew she couldn't forgive him for anything.

"I don't know…" she eventually said. "What you all did… I can't forgive you. But I need to know. If I listen will you answer my questions?"

"Asia…" Issei gave her a gentle tug at her arm, trying to tell her the current location was the last place he wanted to be in.

She put a hand over his and looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Ise, you need to hear this too, don't you?"

The Eighth Predator couldn't refuse her no matter how much he wanted to. He gave a firm nod and helped her back up to her feet. Leading her back to the table, they took their seats across the Dragon Slayer. Issei, however, did not dematerialize the pieces of his armor nor reset the count for his Boost ability.

"What are you doing here, Siegfried?" Issei asked first.

Ludwig answered in a patient and polite tone while gesturing with his hands in suave flows. "A little secret between the two of us, I am supposed to be in China holding conferences with a few businessmen investing companies in Holy Britannia. I've dispatched Sirs Kayla and Trist while secretly exchanging letters with the Seventh to cover for me. Li Qin says hi by the way; I promised her I would tell you. I've brought my most loyal knights as escorts, Lancelet and Morgan."

He gestured towards the two maids at the back. Lancelet seemed ticked-off while the stoic Morgan gave Issei— of all things— a thumbs-up.

"To answer your question," he continued this time with some more casual flare, "I am here on orders of Her Highness to do everything in my power to reestablish the bond between the Second and Eighth Predator and to ensure the safety of the British Isles.

"…Having that said, I did not attempt to summon you for the past three weeks as Second Predator. I've been making pacts with your classmates, hoping one night you would be the one to appear through the circle. I simply wish to talk like how we always have.

"And in hopes of our good friendship staying, I personally made this meal and saw to it the decadence tonight is to your liking. I do sincerely hope my knights have appealed to you. They are the most striking of the Round. But please, enough of that right now. Eat. Go and enjoy your meals."

Lancelet and Morgan were around them almost immediately; both maids leaning over, emphasizing the depth of their cleavage, and lifted the coverings of their dishes. It should be pointed out Lancelet was no longer trying to smile as she looked peeved while Morgan was giving Ludwig a blunt glare.

Issei didn't know what to think about the meals given. His was different from Asia's. His was… curry with rice. Quite possibly the most simplistic of Japanese meals on the face of the planet. And Asia had a cup of tomato soup with a side of buttered bread and… a cup of Goldfish crackers. But there was something about it that had her eyes widening and looking between the meal and a slightly amused, if not prideful, Ludwig.

"…You're not eating?" Issei asked with wariness.

Ludwig remained patient, but the tiniest crease on his brows appeared. "I do have my pride as a chef, Master Hyoudou. I did not come to the other side of the planet to simply poison you. One stroke from my Gram would have been far more efficient."

Perhaps… but it was still rather weird to be the only ones eating.

The two Devils looked at another and then decided to try their meals together. They lifted their required utensils, took a decent amount, and placed it in their mouths.

Issei recognized the recipe immediately. How could he not? He knew it better than anyone and had failed countless times to replicate it. He could have followed the instructions down to the letter, to the smallest detail, but there was still that _something _lacking that made it truly what it was. He had missed it so much he had nearly forgotten what it was like so his heart would stop bleeding. But as soon as the curry and rice hit his tongue, those memories came rushing back like a roaring flame.

It was the same dish his mother made. The _exact _same.

"This is…" Asia too had her own reaction as the spoon fumbled out of her hand and onto the serving plate. "The soup they would serve us at the orphanage…"

"It took some digging," elaborated the Dragon Slayer, "but I managed to uncover a few… reminiscent things."

"If you think I'm going to thank you for this… think again," Issei hissed through grinding teeth. He couldn't eat another bite, no matter how much his heart ached for it. "How did you even…?!"

"I expected nothing from you, Master Hyoudou," replied Ludwig. He began to undo the straps of the glove on his right hand. "You asked me once why I always wear gloves, even stated it was because I wanted to be… 'fancy', was it? I recalled telling you it was in order to hide something that was shunned by society… much in the same way you hide _those _on your back."

The glove came off; Ludwig exposed the back of his hand to the two of them. Shimmering, geometric, _breathing _winged tattoos were etched onto the skin.

They were of the exact same design as Issei's Gift of Flight. It meant Ludwig…

"This is the Gift of Craft," Ludwig completed the Pawn's thoughts. "For a human to submit a Primordial dweller through the use of an instrument, they are rewarded with this Gift. It maximizes the efficiency and potential of the human when they are in the process of crafting _anything. _That includes the forging or maintenance of my swords, the potency of my limited magic, to even, let us say, the dishes I have prepared this evening."

"There… There are _more _of them?!" Issei couldn't believe it.

"But of course," Ludwig said with an amused smile as he slipped the glove back on. "There are seven in total; Step, Seduction, Craft, Flight, Tongue, Crown, and Authority. Each one requires a certain method of submitting a Primordial being and each one surfaces on the appropriate part of the body. You overcame the Welsh Dragon through resplendent force of will, and thus were given the Gift of Flight. I, however, slew Zmey Gorynych in my early years with Gram Mk IV and was rewarded with the Gift of Craft."

"Um…" Asia lifted her hand to speak. "The meal is nice… but… why have you been trying to talk to Issei so much? Couldn't you have sent a letter, maybe?"

"I have, young lady," Ludwig nodded. "But not to invite him to my abode. An apology written in words is nothing in comparison to one given in person."

"What makes you think I'm going to forgive you at all?" asked Issei. "Even if you had nothing to do with it, I still can't accept what all of you had done. Siegfried… you should know just as much as I do. This feeling in my chest, it doesn't go away. The bloodlust, the desire to kill, the anger and rage that I have to hide always _doesn't go away. _The same thing I felt down in that pit that made me into a true Predator is just as strong as it is now. Congratulations, you all made me into the monster you wanted. And it _only _cost the life of my sister!

"Siegfried, tell me why I shouldn't fly to Britain right now and kill your queen?"

There was a level of hostility coming from Lancelet and Morgan. They wouldn't stand a chance against Issei. But their loyalty was true when they were prepared to engage Issei for threatening their queen.

However, no hostility came from Ludwig. He tapped a finger on the table while his eyes moved towards the double doors. "Lancelet tells me you had an interesting encounter with my newest servant, Shelly. What do you think of her?"

"What does she have to do with—"

"More than you realize," those steel-blue eyes returned to Issei with enmity. Enough for Issei to stop and think about the threat he made. True, he wouldn't have gone through with it, but those eyes still make him ponder in question. "She is my gift to you. Now tell me, what do you think of her?"

"…She reminds me too much of the one you killed," he eventually said. "I will always see _her _in Sherry and will never be able to treat her how she deserves. I can't accept your… gift."

Ludwig gave a disappointed sigh. "My word. The density of your cranium must put orichalcum to shame. Very well. Then how about those two?"

"Wait, what?!" Lancelet spoke out of place.

Morgan's eyes hardened as they slid eerily towards her charge.

"Come now, girls," Ludwig played it off. "Think about it; becoming the mistresses of a humanoid dragon. Your children will have features not seen since the pinnacle of the Round. Surely the houses of Du Lac and Pendragon would welcome you both back with honors. As for you, Master Hyoudou, my knights are the finest in all of Holy Britannia. Their skill of arms place them parallel to legends and they are loyal absolutely to those they swear themselves to. With but a word they will be yours… to fulfill any desire you so order."

Had it come from anyone else, Issei would have agreed on the spot. They _were _very fine beauties. Their dresses hardly left anything hidden from his examinations. The two of them were fit from their military duties, yet at the same time kept their womanly charms. Plus, they were foreign beauties of Issei's ideal type. Both were stunning to look at.

Asia was giving him a look. She was ready to cry again.

"I'm going to have to… politely decline," he said with a bit more effort than usual. Something in him was hurting. He didn't know what it was or where, but it was burning his insides.

It was his manhood.

Ludwig looked towards his two knights and gave them a nod. Without question the two approached him with Lancelet handing back his cane. The Dragon Slayer stood, slowly as to not put Issei on edge further than he already was, and paced towards one of the walls at the eastern side. Reaching it, he tapped the tip of his cane three times.

A slit in the wall slid open, revealing a metal handle. Ludwig pulled, revealing a small briefcase, and the slit closed shut.

"I do have one more for you, Master Hyoudou," Ludwig began as he returned to the table and placed the briefcase on the surface. He began to fiddle with the puzzling lock that was far too complex for Issei to be able to figure out. "I'm afraid I cannot afford to have you refuse this one. This is more of a request than it is a gift. It is of vital importance you leave tonight with it and keep it away from our enemy."

There it was again. An enemy. Issei wanted to know what it was.

The briefcase opened, revealing a small black jewel in the shape of one of the emeralds found on his armor. The exact same shape, to be more specific.

"This is Vorpal," stated Ludwig. "The Dream Devourer. It is a weapon which slays all things not meant to exist. It can nullify all manner of magic, can slay the deathless and immortal existences, and can correct the flaws and impurities on the planet. Devils and Angels both will crumble before it. Gods will fall by its blade. But it cannot kill a human. Nor can it touch the sacred forces the planet itself has created, such as you Dragons. Yet it does not excuse under the hands of a competent wielder Vorpal has power to make anyone into a Predator.

"I am giving it to you so such _never _happens."

Ah, so this was the real reason for wanting to talk to Issei.

"Are you asking me as Siegfried," Issei questioned with a shrill gaze, "or as Second?"

"Both," Ludwig returned the look. "I do not approve of Rolan's method. He fully understands his method has a high rate of spawning cataclysmic events but does not care so long as a Predator is born. I cannot accept such a way. I believe the only way we can overcome this is to improve ourselves. I have reached my limit, but you have not. I believe giving you Vorpal will help you far more than it could with this dying man."

Asia spoke up with a sad expression. "Could you not have given him this… instead of what you did with Nakashima-san…?"

For the first time this evening, Ludwig gave a tired sigh. It made him look decades older than he appeared. "I am afraid nothing would have changed. The Fourth is a human with vampiric attributes. Vorpal cannot touch him."

"I don't see how this would help me at all," stated Issei. "I still don't know what it is. It looks like a gem for my armor but you said it's a… sword?"

"Indeed it is. It was originally a blade much like my Gram when I presented it to Hades some weeks ago. But I was able to extract what I desired without having to give him the weapon. In the short time, I altered it to fit you and you alone. No other may use it. I assure you, Master Hyoudou, this weapon _will _be beneficial to you.

"Install it, give it time to adjust, and it may work wonders on your Evil Pieces. You will find something truly marvelous the next time you use the Promotion command."

"…Fine," Issei said. "However, I have a demand. I have a question and you are going to answer it. And I am asking you as Eighth Predator."

"…Girls," Ludwig turned away and looked at his knights. "Please accompany Miss Argento to the next room. Perhaps for dessert? I must speak with Master Hyoudou in private."

"Ise…?" Asia looked at the Pawn in concern. He looked her way and gave her a small but sad smile. He assured her everything would be okay.

She believed in him and left with the two momentarily.

"I'm listening, Dragoon," Ludwig took his seat. His presence changed. He was no longer the grandfatherly man and welcoming host.

Alone in the dining area were two natural enemies. The dragon, and the hunter.

"What is that thing?" was Issei's question.

There was nothing specific targeted in his tone. Nonetheless, Ludwig knew _exactly _what he was talking about. "You tell me, boy. What are your instincts telling you?"

Issei's eyes narrowed. "You and I know exactly what it is. So don't play this game with me already. Don't think I haven't forgiven any of you about anything! I'm sick of your manipulations! Did you think I was going to open up to you because you apologized, gave me some of my mom's cooking, and offered me some shiny sword?! No! You're just as cowardly as Rolan with the way you're trying to butter me up. That… _thing _on the edge of the horizon has you scared just as much as I am, so don't pretend everything is fine and there is nothing to worry about. Don't pretend giving me this weapon is something that will appeal to me when you hope I will be strong enough for the day we have to face that thing.

"But that's the thing. I don't know _what _it is we're going to face! This thing made you kill my parents, made you scheme Asia's death, killed Ayame only because she knew me for less than a _month, _and let's not forget how many others you've done this to!

"I know how terrified you all are. I am too. Even with eight of us together we're not strong enough. We're not ready for whenever that thing arrives.

"The Vampire said he and I will see another again in the impending apocalypse; he even asked me if I heard its whispers. I still hear them. Serene mentioned it in the letter she gave Asia. And now Sona tells me Rolan was trying to produce Predators to face it.

"If you want my help at all against it, I need to know what it is that we'll be facing. After everything you've done to me, I think I deserve the right to know. No, I _will _get the answers or I'll do something that will make you talk. Do you get it, Siegfried? Do you not understand? I lied to my best friend today about this. And if she ever finds out she will _never _trust me again. I _need _to know what it is that made me lie to Sona so she didn't go mad with fear.

"Tell me what it is!"

Ludwig von Siegfried did not move from his place. He kept his hands folded as he locked intent with the Dragoon. When Issei was remotely calm enough to hear every word, Ludwig began to speak.

"There are two things you must learn. Two stories. The first is the sacrifice the former Second Predator, the Heavenly Father, made at the end of the Great War. His death would have given us four thousand years of peace had it not been for the events of the second story.

"The second is the story of an event between your seven seniors and a man by the name of Adams McCain five years ago. It is the story of the Eversong.

"Which would you like to hear first?"

*Scene*

Ludwig put the pen down and sealed his journal shut. The man didn't care much for lavish things; his study was filled with things found in department furniture stores, such as the bargain chair he leaned on. Second, he cared only enough about propriety enough to never insult his queen in public gatherings.

With his boots kicked off, he pulled his feet up onto the desk. The pain of his aching joints was lessened. This was his heaven.

"Permission to speak freely… sir?"

He did not open his eyes as he gave a lax wave for Lancelet to continue.

The knight formerly of House Du Lac had long changed into a more appropriate dress. "If it will not trouble you right now… May you tell me once more how Lord Hyoudou did not recognize his adoptive sister?"

"Magic," Ludwig answered with a humored chuckle. He always loved to say that. I pissed off so many people, especially those egotistical mages who questioned how he produced his techniques. "No, nothing like that. If he was to ponder 'where is Ayame Nakashima' then he will lock on to Sherry's location. In every way, Hyoudou believes the girl is dead; such a question will never cross his mind. He did not recognize her because her signature is far too different than what it once was. Being exposed to the miasma of the Realm of the Dead and being forcibly altered into a Reaper will do that. Hades intended to use her as a weapon against Hyoudou.

"Could you imagine? Brainwashing a girl like that to despise the one she loves, then pitting her in a fight against him. Even Predators have their weaknesses, and Ayame is his. It was what made him my equal, after all."

"…Doubt it," stated Morgan as she swept across the room putting files and books away from the research Siegfried had previously done in the day.

She was still dressed in the illicit attire. When questioned why, she simply said she liked it for the freedom. Plus, on the battlefield it would be highly distracting, even towards women. She wanted to test this theory out at some point.

Ludwig gave a humored chuckle. "If he were anything but a dragon, he would be able to kill me after a fair play of effort. It is only his trait as a dragon that makes me the immediate victor. I am the only one of us who can defeat him without question; as he is now, Hyoudou doesn't stand a chance against me."

"Huh," Morgan thought something over. "Is that why you gave him Vorpal?"

The smirk grew. "Oh Morgan, how I love you sometimes. Sometimes. Yes, that is exactly why. Can you imagine? The day he will be able to negate that weakness of his against me? The day he and I can fight as equals?"

"I thought you said he was already your equal," questioned Sherry.

Lancelet nearly jumped. The girl virtually popped out of thin air. Morgan did not react any further from turning towards the child and then resuming her work.

Ludwig had always known she was there thanks to his constant awareness. "Oh yes, he is. Which is why when he will overcome that obstacle I will surely lose. But it shall be a battle fit of legend. The Ultimate Killer who hunts dragons against the Ultimate Killer who mounts them. It is a fitting end to my long story. I do not wish to die in bed."

He gave a groan as his body ached when he sat up. He was getting old. His youth was only skin-deep. He was twice as old as he appeared and his body was falling apart. It was a miracle the World still acknowledged him as a Predator.

"You should not be up this late, child," Ludwig stood and paced around his desk, the cane that held Gram Mk VII supporting the majority of his right leg. He gave her a soft smile. "I'll not scold you for it. I'll allow you to sleep in tomorrow, but I expect your duties to be complete by the end of the day. Now, why don't you come with me for some ice cream? This old man would love the company. Would you do him the honor of giving a lovely lady such as yourself his attention?"

The Reaper was smarter than the children her age. She knew Ludwig was trying to comfort her. That, and Ludwig was lactose intolerant. She gave a nod as she followed protocol and opened the door for the seemingly middle-aged gentleman.

"Thank you, dear," he smiled before pausing. He turned his head slightly to address his knights, "You two, I expect you to wear the same uniforms should Master Hyoudou present himself once again. And Lancelet? I'm making you do the shopping… in your uniform. We need you to be comfortable in it or it's simply awkward to look at you."

"What?!" shrieked the pale knight.

"Come along, child," he paid her no mind and paced out of the study. "Do tell me first, what do you think of Master Hyoudou since you've last seen him?"

Nakashima Ayame closed the door and bounced a few steps so to catch up with her most recent 'employer'. She didn't have to think hard on the question as her face soured. "I'm disappointed to see he's sleeping with the nun who swore an oath of abstinence. At least he's not some disgusting virgin lolicon. It's a start. He's still an idiot though.

"But he's my Ise-nii. I still love him."


	11. Demon Lord Hyoudou

**Guess what this is. A note!**

Hello everyone! Been a while, hasn't it? Happy New Year and all that. Sorry this update took a bit longer than usual. I was occupied with the holidays, sister had a wedding, and I was working on ToS and BSWR. Now, I had a Christmas special for this story but I didn't get very far with it. I might post it in a future chapter as an omake or I might just post what I have on the forum. It's really up in the air with me, honestly.

So this chapter is 18k long, but officially roughly 12k. Why? Because I have a special surprise for all of you at the end of the chapter. I sincerely hope you like it. I also challenge anyone to make a story of it. It doesn't have to be Predator Issei. It could be revolving around Canon Issei. But do hit me up if any of you decide to make a story of it. I would DEFINITELY love to read it.

Right, this chapter concludes mostly the follow-up regarding the Rating Game. That's the reason why its rather short. Now that it's out of the way we can move forward and I can begin the Excalibur arc. Hooray!

Let's see... next... ah. I'll be making profiles and general information regarding the other seven Predators and will be posting them on my forum. They should be up by the next chapter... should be.

A lot of you have asked questions about my lore. Though I do plan on explaining things in the story sometime in the future, I'll be taking a moment to answer two questions. If you're not interested, feel free to skip to the story right here.

**What are the Dra'cueri Gifts?**

Like stated in the previous chapter, there are seven of them. Each one takes the shape of a glowing, bright as all hell dragon wing. They are described generally by the characters as "geometrically designed shapes fitting perfectly together to resemble a wing". So we got boxes, triangles, and a few curves that mean SOMETHING in mathematical terms when analyzed. But I leave the description vague for you, the readers, to come up with your own interpretation.

Now, each Gift has two functions. One passive and one active ability. The passive ability means the Gift doesn't need to "come to life / blaze to life" for the owner to use it. Whatever the Gift is, its passive ability is to ALWAYS maximize the potential of skill the wielder has relating to the Gift. So, like Issei's Gift of Flight, it maximizes his skills in transportation. For Siegfried and Artemis with the Gift of Craft, it maximizes their capabilities of crafting anything.

Active abilities means the user must pay the toll to use, but in doing so the Gift breaks the limit placed on the wielder and grants the ultimate privilege in all things relating to the Gift. For Flight, it is to fly with only the wielder's coping abilities as a self-restriction. For Craft, it is to perfect any creation with only time as a restriction. There are other Gifts, but I don't plan on revealing what they are until later.

Anyone can obtain a Gift... provided they are human. Why only humans? Because in my stories humanity is at the bottom of the food chain and to obtain a Gift is like a trophy for getting from the bottom to the top. But just as there are seven different Gifts, there are seven different methods in order to obtain them. And these can only be obtained by suppressing a Primordial being. Meaning, getting them to either surrender or outright killing them through seven different methods. Now we move to the second question.

**What is a Primordial being?**

They are the Lawmakers. They are the representations of concepts, physics, metaphysics, and mystics. To best explain, let me drag up one Primordial being who has appeared in this story.

When the world was nothing more than hot magma, 'he' appeared. He is the cooling cycle of the planet in which began the first steps needed to begin life. He is [Terraforming]. But, people tried to come up with an explanation for how this Law came to be. There are numerous myths and legends to explain it and the story of Odin is but one of them. "Odin" is a god created by humanity as a means to explain how the world came to be. He is given life based on the prayers and tellings humanity has given him. Therefore, "Odin" is nothing more than a skin.

So, [Terraforming] comes along, kicks Odin out to the curb, and then takes his place. No one notices the difference. HOWEVER, while multiple worlds exist with each world having its own Odin, there only exists ONE [Terraforming]. Because he is the Law in which ALL worlds follow.

That, good people, is a Primordial being.

So having that said, I have one question for all of you. Now that you know what a Gift is, and that you have a vague understanding of a Primordial being, what does it mean for Issei to have not only gotten the Gift of Flight from Ddaig but to also usurp his powers?

Please enjoy the story.

* * *

**Beta (kinda):**

Third Fang

* * *

"…What."

Rias, in all honesty, didn't know how to react as soon as her Pawn and Bishop returned on their first job. Akeno had finished with her task and was about to take up a few of Issei's contracts when the pair had walked in. Asia didn't have her usual smile and Issei had a distant look in his eyes, as if something was haunting him.

She immediately asked what was wrong, and Asia was the one to share the story while Issei sat on the couch. He looked… tired, if such a word could be accurate enough.

When the story was done, Asia moved to his side and slid her fingers through his. He looked her way once, offered a small smile in thanks, but then slipped back into his thoughts.

Rias leaned back in her chair as she felt the world begin to spin. "This whole time… the Dragon Slayer has been in my territory and I never knew about it. And he's been making contracts with Yuuto and Koneko…?"

She didn't know if she should be angry, but she definitely was frustrated. Unfortunately, she couldn't find the reason within her as to why she was frustrated. The fact that one of _them _had been in her city for an undisclosed amount of time or that she hadn't known about it and sent two of her Pieces without looking into it, she didn't know.

"Well… Ise-kun, what did he want?" asked Akeno with deep worry. Her lips were pressed thin when he didn't respond; never a good sign. "Ise-kun."

"Sorry, Onee-sama," Issei blinked a few times while giving a sigh. "I was just thinking about tonight. What did you ask?"

"Exactly that," the Queen responded patiently as she took her seat on the opposite couch. "What did your senior want? I don't believe for a moment he came all this way just to apologize."

"I asked him if he knew anything about Rolan's plan for making more Predators," he began while using his freehand to dig through his pocket. "Siegfried doesn't agree with the Sixth and thinks if he wants to make more, then we should try to improve ourselves first."

Issei pulled out a large black orb from his left pocket. She was mesmerized by it at first glance, at how it seemed to absorb the light around the room. Her instincts as a Devil was also telling her of the dangers this… thing possessed. It was making her heart race and skin tingle. Whatever that was it gave her the same feeling she had whenever near anything relating to God of the Bible.

It was her natural enemy.

"Ise-kun…" Akeno had her back pressed against the couch as her brows were scrunched up. Her hands were tightening along the hem of her skirt. She was feeling the same as Rias. "What is that thing?"

Issei juggled the little orb in his hand. "Vorpal, the Dream Devourer. It's a weapon Siegfried made and modified from its original version to sync with my Sacred Gear. He says it's able to cut through anything that's not supposed to have ever existed in the world. Let's see… he said anything related to magic, gods, Angels, Fallen, Dev…ils… Oh. I'm sorry everyone, I didn't realize you were uncomfortable with this. Asia, are you okay?"

"Eh?" the blonde beside him blinked. "I'm fine, Ise. Why do you ask?"

True to her word, there was nothing wrong with Asia. She looked just the same as she did when walking into the clubroom. Issei looked to be just as immune to the dangers of Vorpal, but Rias just chocked it up as him being more experienced with such threatening things. Maybe because Rias was a full-blooded Devil? And though Akeno was a Reincarnated Devil she did have a sum of Fallen blood in her. Perhaps Asia didn't feel anything because she was once fully human?

But that didn't make sense. Asia is now a Devil, Reincarnated or not. That little orb should be as much of a danger to her as it was to Rias.

"Vorpal?" asked Akeno. "You mean like the Vorpal Sword from Lewis Carroll's Jabberwock poem?"

"…Vorpal's a real thing?" asked Issei as he looked at the black orb once more. "I thought he was just a senile old man who gave it some random name. Like his Gram… That's not a real weapon… is it?"

"Oh dear…" Akeno could only sigh.

"So you accepted something like that without a second thought?" Rias groaned as she leaned forward. "Ise, you should have left immediately and informed us about this. They can't be trusted. Why would you accept something like that from him?"

"Because, master, I need this!" he growled and nearly stood in outrage. It got her to tense and press herself to the back of her chair. He stopped himself and curled his fingers around the orb. "Sorry… Buchou. I'm not happy about this either. I want _nothing _to do with them at all. But there are things… things that I can't tell you. You are my master and if you ask I will tell you. But… it would be best that you _never _do. Please understand. I had to accept this as Eighth Predator…"

Issei had snapped. At _her. _He had directed his negativity at her and she took the brunt of it. She was reminded in only that one glare how he was something she could never fully control. Only an invisible thread that was a _promise _kept him from tearing her apart.

She had thought she knew the depths of Sona's warning. She had just corrected herself.

"Just…" Rias tried to find her fortitude as a King again. "Just understand I'm not okay with this, still. I really do wish you could have discussed this with me first. Not as your master, Ise, but as your…"

His… what? Friend? Lover? Consort? What was she to Issei when she wasn't his King? She didn't know the answer to that.

"Oh man…" grief shook him as he gripped his head with both his hands. "That reminds me! Sona is going to _kill _me!"

…It also irked her how _Sona _had a tighter leash on him and she was hardly ever present!

"What else can you tell us about… that," Rias asked.

Issei calmed down and fiddled with the orb again in his grasp. "Siegfried said I need to install it and give it time to adjust. And that… something is going to happen the next time I use Promotion."

"I don't recall you ever using Promotion," she retorted. "Well, it's not like you've ever needed to. Did he ever specify what it was that will happen?"

"…He did not," Issei looked away as the realization kicked in.

One would think to read the instruction manual before accepting a weapon that will be fiddling with the core of his abilities. Rias was liking this even less.

"Another question," inquired Akeno, "how exactly does one install a Vorpal Sword?"

Issei also didn't have the answer to that.

"Oh for the love of…" Rias found herself groaning with a headache rising. "Ise… is there _anything _you learned at all from this little trip?"

"Maybe it's a suppository?" giggled Akeno.

"DON'T EVEN JOKE LIKE THAT!" Issei was out of his seat.

Akeno tilted her head in innocent confusion as she gave him one of her mirthful smiles, "Who said I was joking, Ise-kun?"

"Um…" Asia look over at Rias, "Buchou? What does that mean? Is it something I can help with? If it is then I'll be more than happy to help Ise!"

"Well I wanted the rights to do _that _to my adorable little junior," Akeno gave her most evil cackle to date. "But if Asia-chan wants to then I guess I can be the assistant. I shall go fetch my ropes. We can't have him squirming during the procedure."

She stood, as if she really were going to one of the spare rooms to fetch her equipment. But then again… this was Akeno talking so she might _really _be doing just that. Naturally, Issei leapt in front of her and tried to stop her.

While Akeno and Issei were playing their little word game (with Akeno winning as always), Rias gestured for Asia to come closer to the desk. The petite Bishop approached more curious than ever by the fact whatever was going to be elaborated should not be spoken about in open air, even when the other two in the room already knew such tender information. Asia leaned over the desk, Rias leaned forward, and the explanation was given.

Asia's face heated up so red and so quickly steam nearly shot out of her ears. Her hands shot to her own rear out of natural reaction. "W-W-W-Wuah?! B-B-B-B-But… W-W-W-W-Who w-would... In a place like t-t-t-t-t-t-t-that?!"

Rias leaned back in her chair and shared further details, this time aloud for everyone to hear. "Well, in some cases taking a normal pill orally wouldn't—"

"SHE DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW THIS!" Issei wailed. "AND IT'S NOT A SUPPOSITORY! IT'S… huh…?"

Issei's attention went back to the Vorpal orb in his hand as though it was the small device that called for him. His brows scrunched as he brought it closer to his face, as though he was having difficulty hearing it. As if it could talk in the first place. Perhaps it could; there was a faint glow at its core that was blinking in some sort of rhythm.

"Ise, what is it?" Rias asked aloud.

"Ohhhhhhhhh…" Some sort of revelation swept through Issei as he lowered the sphere and summoned a gauntlet in his opposing hand. "So that's how. So much better than what Onee-sama recommended."

No one had the chance to question him further. He brought the Vorpal directly _into _his gauntlet, shattering the luminous green gem on the back of his hand. The black orb slipped in perfectly.

Issei bared fangs as his eyes shifted to their rightful draconian nature. He couldn't help but grab on to his arm as the black orb began to radiate a prism of colors. Rainbow waves of energy coursed through the armor akin to the lines of a circuit board and then reached out onto Issei's skin. They watched helplessly as it crawled up his arm and began to consume the remainder of his body.

"ISSEI!" they all shouted but didn't know what to do.

"It's… all right…" he hissed in pain but gave them a grin.

[BEGINNING DIAGNOSIS]

Rias heard words, but it wasn't a voice. It was monotone and didn't carry any form of tone. It didn't so much as speak as it just shared information for her to interpret on her own. Almost like she was reading directly from a book.

[RUNNING DIAGNOSIS. SCANNING STATUS OF HOST. REGISTERED; ONE, ISSEI HYOUDOU. SCANNING CONDITION OF PHYSIOLOGY. REGISTERED; 87% REPTILIAN, DRAGON-CLASS SPECIES; 10% ELEMENTAL, DEVEL-CLASS SPECIES; 3% MUNDANE, HUMAN-CLASS SPECIES. HOST IS IN ACCEPTABLE PHYSICAL HEALTH.

[SCANNING CONDITION OF MENTALITY. ERROR. MENTALITY OF HOST IS UNSTABLE. CORRUPTED DATA FOUND. VIRUSES DETECTED WITHIN VORPAL SYSTEM: TYPE-OPPAI. ACTIVATING ANTI-OPPAI VIRUS PROTECTION. RESUMING DIAGNOSIS. ERROR. VIRUSES DETECTED WITHIN VORPAL SYSTEM: TYPE-OPPAI. REACTIVATING ANTI-OPPAI VIRUS PROTECTION. ERROR. VIRUSES CAN NOT BE REMOVED. REMOVE AT COST OF HOST HEALTH: Y/N?]

"What?!" Issei had no idea what was going on. He didn't understand the majority of what the Vorpal had said. But he did know something bad was going to happen to him if he let it continue. "No! Don't do it!"

[REMOVING SAFETY LOCKS ON VORPAL SYSTEM]

"I SAID NO, DAMMIT!" Issei shouted into his left hand.

[ACTIVATING PURGING SEQUENCE: UNIT-ISSEI REPELLANT]

Issei began to cry. Rias could somewhat understand why. He was such a pervert even his brain was infecting this… computer? What exactly was Vorpal? She thought it was some magic instrument. Regardless, it would seem even the Dragon Slayer had predicted this and placed some sort of anti-virus system specifically designed to battle Issei.

At this point Rias sat back in her chair with a warm cup of tea Akeno had just poured her. The Queen rested against the desk with her own cup in hand. Asia had her hands close to her chest but she too was against the desk.

All three of them were watching in bewilderment. Rias would even say she found this somewhat entertaining.

[DELETION OF VIRUSES IN PROGRESS… ERROR.

[ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. VIRUSES CANNOT BE DELETED. WARNING. VORPAL SYSTEM IN CRITICAL RISK. WARNING. MAIN HUB BREACHED. WARNING. PROCESSOR BREACHED. W-WARN-NING. CO-RE A-AT-T R-R-I-S-SK…]

It then just sizzled out in a series of small sparks, followed by a trail of smoke rising off the surface of the jewel.

They all watched dumbfounded. Issei shook his gauntlet a few times, trying to get it to work again. He tapped a finger on the surface of the gem… only more sparks lit up before going dead.

"Did you… break it?" Rias put her tea down at this.

[REBOOT SUCCESSFUL]

It came back to life in a flash of colors as the circuitry weaved through Issei's skin once again. He jolted fiercely enough for him to fall to the floor. It had been unexpected…

…And Rias could have sworn a lot more forceful than last time. As if the thing had come back with a vengeance.

[SKIPPING SYSTEM SCAN OF MENTALITY OF HOST. PROCEEDING WITH NEXT PHASE. SCANNING QUANTUM IDENITY CORTEX CONDITION. QIC SYSTEM STABLE. LOCATED MODIFIERS; CLASS: EVIL PIECES. REGISTERED; EIGHT PAWN PIECES. ANALYZING CONDITIONS… REGISTERED; FOUR STANDARD EVIL PIECES, FOUR MUTATED PIECES]

This would be the first time in history Rias ever did a spit-take. The tea splashed over poor Asia's side. She distinctly remembered resurrecting Issei with all eight of her Pawn Pieces, yes, but they were the normal Pieces anyone else received. At what point in time did _four _of them mutate? She gravely underestimated how powerful Issei must have been if it would have required four Pawns to have mutated.

Another thought; what if she didn't have the power then to resurrect him? What if back then she needed the four regular Pawns and four Mutated Pieces? Issei wouldn't be here…

[SCANNING DEFIANT INSTRUMENT OF PHENOMENON. REGISTERED; SACRED GEAR, TYPE: LONGINUS, CLASS: WELSH BOOSTED GEAR. STABLE. ACCEPTABLE CONTIDION]

[SYSTEM SCANS COMPLETE. DIAGNOSIS COMPLETE. ASSESSMENT: HOST IS IN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION. CLEAR TO ENGAGE INSTALLATION OF VORPAL SYSTEM. BEGINNING INSTALLATION. ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION: NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SIX HOURS]

"What?!" Issei shrieked and jumped back up to his feet. He seriously just lay there the whole time while it finished its scan. "But that's… forever!"

Rias did the math in her head, "That's almost six weeks, Ise."

"Six weeks?!" he yelled further and then began to talk to the Vorpal jewel. "Can't you speed things up sooner?!"

She was amused at how he believed this thing was able to talk to him. It was a machine from what she could tell.

[REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGED. RECALCULATING ESTIMATED TIMEFRAME. CORRECTION MADE. ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION: SIX MONTHS]

She quirked a brow. She noticed how it didn't share the time in hours like before.

…Maybe this thing did have a personality of sorts?

"Six months…?!" Issei sank to his knees. "That's way too long…"

[ERROR. MALFUNCTION LOCATED WITHIN CALCULATIONS. READDRESSING… COMPLETE. ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION: SIX WEEKS]

"MAKE UP YOUR MIND!"

[VOICE COMMAND NOT RECOGNIZED. SEEKING SIMILAR COMMANDS… BEGIN SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE: Y/N?]

"NO! NO, NO, NO, NO!"

[ACKNOWLEDGED. BEGINNING SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE. COUNTDOWN IN TEN... NINE… EIGHT…]

Issei began to panic. He even tried to rip the Sacred Gear off his arm but failed to realize it was sealed there permanently. He put it between his thighs and tried to use the strength of his back to pry it off. Nothing was working.

Rias sighed and decided enough was enough. "Issei… you know that thing's messing with you, right?"

[VOICE COMMAND RECOGNIZED. SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ABORTED. RETURING TO INSTALLATION…]

"…To think someone like the Dragon Slayer had a sense of humor," Akeno mused.

Asia, however, gave a heavy sigh as she too sank to her knees. "Thank goodness. I thought Ise was going to lose his arm…"

Issei fell to his knees as he dismissed the red gauntlet. The glowing circuitry over his body slowly sank beneath his skin until it could no longer be seen. "This was so not funny…"

Rias leaned further in her seat until the chair began to recline back. If the Dragon Slayer thought any of this was funny… it wasn't by a long shot. On normal circumstances the situation would have been tossed as typical hijinks befitting Issei's life, but when it came from one of _those _who make a black spot on her adorable Pawn's heart… there were no kind words that came to mind.

"I believe we've all had enough for one night…" she exasperated after a _very _tired sigh. "Why don't the two of you go home? And Ise… would it be fine if we can all stay the night at your place? I believe your protections far surpass any of mine and now knowing the Second is here…"

"Y-Yeah…" Issei rubbed the back of his head. "You're always welcome, Buchou. You guys have keys so feel free to come whenever you want."

"Thank you," she replied with a small smile. "Go on ahead. I'll wait here for Koneko and Yuuto to come back."

Issei nodded and looked over at Asia. She came to his side at the ready. They both said their goodnights as they began to make their way out of the clubroom. Rias couldn't say she noticed any change between them, and yet there was something… different between them. Something intimate with the way they walked together. They were just as close to another as they had always been, yet there was _something _she couldn't see that wasn't there before.

Whatever it was… it made Rias' heart hurt.

"Issei…" the calling of his name came out of her mouth without her realizing. Some innate feeling to draw his attention to her, to simply _look _at her, forced her to call for him against her consciousness.

He turned and blinked. His expression was level and nothing but professionalism. Like how a servant should behave towards their master. So very unlike the intimate and welcoming looks he gave to Asia… to Koneko… to Akeno… to Yuuto… To everyone but her.

"Yes, Buchou?"

Buchou. Not Rias.

"No, it's nothing," she shook her head. "Have a good night."

He stared a little longer as if expecting her to retract her words. Only a few seconds of lingering attention. With nothing progressing, he nodded in politeness and went back to leaving the room. He even opened the door for Asia like a gentleman, who smiled at him in return.

And he smiled back at her in a way that made Rias flush in jealousy. But it was a feeling she hadn't a clue where it came from. She quickly shoved such feelings down her throat and tied it down with a metaphorical string.

"You're so sad to look at it hurts, Rias," Akeno stated in a dry tone akin to how one would state the conditions of the weather. Alone with her King, she dropped the persona of the Queen. "To think the apple of desire, _the _Rias Gremory, would be jealous over the least desirable person in school."

Rias' brow twitched. Yes, Issei was, literally, at the bottom of the popularity charts, but that didn't mean he couldn't be desirable. He had his good points. A lot of bad ones. A lot. But those good things about him overshadowed the bad. Akeno knew this as well; hell, the sadistic Queen had told her about her nefarious plans to kidnap Issei, tie him in the interrogation dungeon at the base of their mansion and… the better details were best left unsaid.

So to call Rias out on it irked her when Akeno was in the same boat. "…I have no idea what you're talking about."

But her pride wouldn't allow her to admit it.

"Of course," Akeno teased with a smile. "So it wouldn't mean anything to you if I tell you the latest gossip running through the rumor mill? Such as a certain someone from the student council having the hots for a certain _Reddobura_?"

A second twitch from the same brow. Rias had indeed heard of another one of Kuoh's most desirable girls having a sudden interest in Issei. News had spread quickly and students had inquired the source, Tsubasa herself, and the Rook denied nothing. She even glorified Issei and stated she _hoped _she was good enough for the infamous member of the Perverted Trio.

"No, not at all," Rias denied further and hid her disdain by drinking her tea… which had been empty for quite some time.

"I imagined so," Akeno played along. "Oh that reminds me. There is another rumor quite a number of the first-years were considering confessing to him. I believe some of the more daring were wanting to call him 'Onii-chan' and elaborated how they wanted to be pushed down by his big, strong, muscular body."

A third twitch. "Is that so…?"

Akeno wasn't done. "Oh yes. His classmates were absolutely stunned by how in shape he was when they saw him walk in this morning in Kiba-kun's uniform. It's amazing how a simple change in attire can draw in the eyes of so many girls; they might even be willing to overlook his vulgar behavior or use it in their favor. And I do believe it'll continue to grow because a certain _someone _within this room swapped all of his uniforms with better tailored ones while he was gone. I won't say who."

Akeno snickered akin to chime bells. By this point Rias couldn't stop her hand from rubbing her temple.

"Not to mention I might actually lose him to Sona of all people," she eventually caved and just went along with Akeno's teasing. "The idiot doesn't realize what he's done with her. If the Sitri family finds out…"

"Rias… exactly how serious are you about him?" the smile dropped as Akeno asked her dearest friend in a serious tone.

"…I… want him to… look at me as he would with you," she shared after some thought. It was never easy putting such foreign feelings into words. She didn't believe they were the most accurate, but they were satisfactory enough to make the point.

"You mean full of absolute lust as he stares at my breasts and _only _my breasts?" the Queen retorted with some mild amusement. "I believe he already does that."

Rias shook her head. "He calls you Onee-sama and _means _it. You are something special to him. Do you know what he called me during the Rating Game? Master. It made me feel very… distant with him. I'm worried… that's all he thinks of me as. Just as his master. Not Rias."

"…Perhaps then you shouldn't have used him," Akeno couldn't withhold the sharpness of her tongue. No matter how much she loved Rias, she couldn't believe her friend went that far with the heartbroken Pawn.

Her words hurt Rias she couldn't help but flinch. She always regretted taking advantage of Issei like that. She was desperate to the point of panicking, and she dared to say the alcohol had a part in persuading her that night but nothing could be further from the truth. Rias was only thinking of herself and put the bare minimum of thought in Issei's wellbeing.

She played with his heartstrings, made him fall to his knees and swear fealty to her through charming words. She took full advantage of his weak constitution in his greatest moment of need. He swore to be her ultimate weapon in exchange for… what? To patch his bleeding heart?

Rias knew better than anyone she had no idea how to do that. She had lied to him, never once believing her own words on that night. Issei had followed her every command and performed past her expectations, but what had she done in return to him? Another night to lay with her? Such simplistic pleasures were only distractions for the flesh. They did nothing on the matters of the heart.

"Akeno… what should I do?"

The Queen could only shrug. "I can only suggest you be honest with him from now on. And apologize. They won't fix the problem, but it's a start. Then, maybe, tell him how you really feel. I'm sure he'll treat you the same, for both good and bad reasons, but Issei is very understanding. I believe that trait is why Koneko-chan and I fell for him as well…

"Putting that aside for now… What are we to do about Issei's senior?"

*Scene*

Three days later…

Issei had no clue what he was staring at. He arrived to school at the normal time, departed from Asia as a group of girls wanted to talk to her before classes, and he entered the main building with the intentions of switching his shoes. But when he opened the locker, a flutter of colored envelopes fell out with plenty more crammed in the small box. Now, he had seen such a situation many times in Kuoh Academy, manga, anime, and some of those drama shows he watched as a guilty pleasure. And may the great elder gods of debauchery condemn that filthy handsome Kiba for going through this nearly every day with his own locker.

Issei recognized the old 'confession letter(s) in the shoe locker' tact. But something wasn't right. This was _his _locker. Sure, he received a few since his first days in Kuoh Academy, but they were one or two a month. The girls who wrote the letters never had any interest in him to begin with and used him as some sort of rite of passage with what click they hung out with.

There were also the letters of hate and death-threats he received when he was inducted into the Occult Research Club. Better, when he was given permission to be close to 'Gremory-oneesama', 'Himejima-oneesama', 'Kiba-kun', and 'Toujou-chan'. It was like when he started to get help from 'Shitori-kaichou' back when he was a first-year.

So Issei took this with a grain of salt when he gathered the envelopes and stuffed them in his bag, proceeding through his routine to begin the school day by first swapping out his shoes. When he had time he would sit down and read all of them and decide for himself which ones he should approach and which ones he should discard. But knowing his luck all of them would have to be neglected.

He knew there were several eyes upon him, some hiding within crowds and others hiding behind clearly visible corners. What he didn't know was the level of disappointment they all had when he turned away to head towards his classroom.

*Scene*

"Do you know anything about this?" Sona asked when their daily review of the Phenex-Gremory Rating Game was concluded. She pulled an application from a file on her desk and handed it over to Issei.

Issei blinked when he looked it over. "What… is this exactly?"

It wasn't a question of its legibility. They both knew exactly what it was as everything was neatly filled out for even the greatest of simpletons (Issei) to understand. Still, Sona responded, "That is an application to register a new club, Ise. It still needs the final seal from the student council to make it official. They do qualify to have enough members to get started… and this far into the year they can't receive a part of the school budget and have submitted all activities will be funded by the members themselves. One of the teachers has even submitted himself to be the moderator. Everything is in order and would be accepted… but…"

It wasn't unusual for a cult of students to gather and form a club as a place of worship and discussion regarding another student. Nearly every member of the Occult Research Club had one, excluding both Bishops and Issei; but Asia was still new, none of the students knew Gasper existed, and Issei was the least favored person on the face of the planet. Even Sona had one such club dedicated to her 'fans' worshipping her. Though who the _hell _approved it without her knowledge is still a mystery she had yet to solve.

As of now, Issei was now part of that list. The Legion of Hyou-Doers was the name of the applying club. It made her head hurt. But it was a better name than the Kiba-Koos. Whatever the _fuck _a 'Koo' was.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that!" Tsubasa said aloud as she finished gathering her things. Most of the members had left. Some hadn't even bothered to show up knowing Issei would be there. But Tsubasa made sure to be present at every chance. Especially after finding out Issei would be the one going over the performances in the game.

…Only, Issei was as much of an idiot as everyone had first thought. He lacked all forms of common sense and showed little to no signs of intellect during his high school career. It was an apocalyptic day in the student council when he beat Sona in the game of chess. To outsmart the smartest person in the entire academy, who had the rights to boast she knew more material on a subject than most of the teachers… they believed he was a supercomputer in secret. Issei was seen in a completely new light. They couldn't be any more wrong.

When Issei was up in front of the monitor displaying the game he participated in, he failed to elaborate _how _he came up with such strategies. His general reply to anything was 'it felt right'. When footage was shown on the enemy side he couldn't see during the game, he drew in a blank in understanding their strategies.

But throw in the offer to return _one _confiscated porn magazine… Issei _suddenly _had the ability to completely unravel the mindset of Raizer Phenex, give suggestions on what they should have done, and evaluate every microscopic detail regarding his peerage members. And for some H-game, he turned it into a very organized and understandable lecture. Points were made, examples were given, demonstrations and emulations were performed…

…And he even made a model of the battleground the day before today with _perfectly _detailed figurines of every participant as he reenacted the battle down to the last performance.

"I _really _hate this guy…" groaned Saji for the umpteenth time. Out of everyone in the peerage, he was the only one to show his displeasure for the Gremory Pawn. Only because they had yet to reveal his true identity. No one wanted to see the last few minutes of the Rating Game nor did they want to state the elephant in the room. He was simply left in the dark.

"I thought about joining," Tsubasa continued. "But when I went to apply and saw the members…"

She just left it open as a blank.

"So it's a… fan club… for… me?" Issei couldn't believe it.

"It would seem so," Sona regained possession of the application and tucked it back in its folder. "…Or it could all be a ruse. Do you recall the witch hunt in your first year?"

As if he could ever forget. Back in his first year he, as well as Motohama and Matsuda, had received confession letters. He was told to meet some girl behind the gymnasium. Only… when he got there (having met up with his buds as well), they were ambushed by a horde of students who had enough of the Perverted Trio.

They chased him down for _twelve freaking hours _throughout the city. He never once got the chance to slip away with his Gift of Flight as someone always had an eye on him.

"Well…" Issei scratched his chin in thought. "I'm not sensing any danger coming my way. So I don't think they'll be doing anything like that. I don't even feel like they'll do anything as bad as hurting my feelings. Huh. So this perk is useful for things like this too… I could always go see for myself and go from there."

"I would like to accompany you then when you do," Sona pressed her glasses. "Not that I doubt your credibility to flee, Ise, but I would like to avoid another riot like that again."

"They meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school," Tsubasa, once again, shared what information she knew. "Mondays to discuss what Hyoudou-sama had done during the weekend, Wednesday to discuss what he has been up to in school for the week, and Friday to confirm Wednesday's details as well as giving assignments for the weekend."

"…And you're not a member?" the ever-smiling Tomoe asked with skepticism.

"I said I was interested in joining," Tsubasa denied nothing.

"Then there might be some credibility to those letters…" Issei said aloud mainly to himself.

"Letters?" asked a set of four; Sona, Tsubaki, Tsubasa, and Saji.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. When I arrived to school this morning I got a bunch of letters stuffed into my locker. I had asked Buchou and the others if they could help me go over them… But they all gave me really scary looks. I mean, even that damn handsome gave me a look as if he was ready to kill someone! Sure, they all agreed to it, but they were only interested in the names of the girls. I'm a little worried they might do something… The hell is up with that?! Uh, Sona, is there any way you can instead?"

"The hell?" Saji jerked in. "Aren't you dating Argento-san? That's what I've been hearing anyways. And you beat Kaichou at chess! And you want _more?! _Isn't stealing Kaichou away from me enough?!"

Sona pretended to not have heard anything he said. Second, Saji's 'secret' admirers Ruruko and Momo looked at another and gave a unified sigh.

Issei stared at the only male member of the Sitri group. "Eh?! Of course it's not enough! My ultimate dream one day is to inherit a peerage of my own and fill it with beauties for a harem! But I'm nowhere near close to fulfilling that dream yet. Besides, Sona and I are strictly just friends."

Once again, the members of the Sitri Peerage were completely blown away by how… surreal the great and dominating Red Dragon Emperor was. Once again the amount of flaws he showed in his words and actions brought him down to their level. He was simply an idiot with far too much power in his hands, in their eyes anyways.

"Well…" Tsubasa tried to keep the light for her hero from dying. "I suppose that means there's still a chance for me…"

"I think it would be best if you review all the letters yourself, Ise," Sona spoke. "They are all addressed towards you and I believe it would be inappropriate for an outsider like myself to hear of their intentions. You'll have to see for yourself if they are worth your response."

"Ah, I see… I think…" Issei said to himself once more before asking something else. "Is this from personal experience, Sona?"

"…That's for my discretion, Ise," was all she replied.

"Um… Right, right, of course," Issei forced himself to look away from the intense glare she was giving him. "So… about that club…?"

Sona shifted in her stance as she crossed her arms. "Seeing as it is Friday, your fan club should be gathering after school. If you're set on this, then I will accompany you."

"Please and thank you, Sona!"

"Right, now that we have a few minutes left before lunch ends," Sona reached over her desk and pulled out her bag sitting on her seat. "Would you mind accompanying me for a moment? There's something I wanted to ask you."

"Ehhhhhhh?!" Saji leapt from his seat and flustered. He nearly bit his tongue as he tried to find the right words to argue. "K-K-Kaichou! You're seriously not walking to class with—"

"Whosoever I choose to spend my free time with is of no concern of yours, Saji," Sona responded with a cold and strictly professional tone. It made him freeze over and nearly crack by how _intentionally _apathetic they were. But, she believed, a point needed to be made else he make a fool of himself… again. Oh yes, she was fully aware of his feelings towards her.

"Y… Yes Kaichou…" Saji eventually said and took his seat. It didn't stop him from giving Issei a noteworthy death-glare.

However, the Gremory Pawn was completely unfazed by what Saji threw at him. The Sitri Pawn was virtually harmless compared to the likes the Eighth Predator had confronted. Therefore, Issei was only away Saji was looking at him and nothing more.

In a few seconds, after a few words in departure, the two were walking down the hallways towards their respective classrooms.

"So, Sona, what's up?" he asked as he hug his bag close to his chest. Within the confines sealed a few magazines and games the disciplinary squad had confiscated. And they were his once more! Now the tricky part was to enjoy these things without Asia—

Oh wait. He made a promise.

Suddenly Issei was on his hands and knees. All the strength in his body was sapped away as his energy was being rerouted towards fulfilling what he was about to say next. "Wait. Sona. T-There's something I need to say first…"

She had no idea how it had turned into this. But she long learned to stop trying to figure out what went on in his head. Anything can happen. She preferred to not know what it was. "…Yes?"

Slowly, he rose back up to his feet. She couldn't help but raise a brow as she saw the streaks of tears falling down his face.

"A-About our deal… You… don't… have to…"

_Sniff._

"You don't… need to… show me… a-anyt-t-t-thing…"

At first she had no idea what he was referring to. But then, after running the last few meetings they shared through her head she recalled what she had promised him. Her face nearly went green. She had been dreading that promise and didn't sleep a wink on the night after the deal was made. She would keep with the promise; she had her pride and honor— neither of those two things would let her break her oath.

"…We can talk about that later," she decided to shove the matter aside and go back to what she wanted in the first place. Lunch was almost over. "I know it's not my place to ask about the affairs of another King and their peerage. However, Rias did mention in passing none of you have been accepting any contracts since the beginning of the week. I won't ask what happened. But… is everything okay?"

He was finishing wiping away the last of the blood that leaked from his nose with a napkin he had brought with his lunch. She… wasn't going to ask why he was bleeding either. "Oh… uh, that. We… had a problem with Asia's first client. Everything's fine. But Buchou right now is rewriting the summoning tags so certain clients like that one don't call on us. Until she's done we're not accepting any clients. I don't know how long that will take, honestly."

She nodded in acceptance. There have been a number of reports where some clients were unruly and demanded much of the Devils they summoned. It was why there was a filtration system installed once a King started accepting summoning contracts. Some humans that wanted certain things were redirected to other Kings who specialized in that demand. And sometimes, though rarely, those clients _weren't _rerouted.

Were it any normal peerage, she would have believed him. But Sona knew better. She saw the way he behaved in response. They were small details such as the twitching of his lips, where he was looking at, and how his fingers clenched slightly against the leather bindings of his satchel. Were it some normal deviant of a client who wanted his way with Asia, Issei would be a lot… louder in his displeasure. Instead, he was keeping his anger in check.

This was twice now he's lied to her. All within the same week.

She knew it had something to do with _them._

*Scene*

"Good evening Bu—" Kiba Yuuto began his normal greeting once he stepped foot inside the Occult Research Club. However, the sight of arguably the most powerful Pawn in existence stopped him in his tracks. His first thoughts were to share a glance with Koneko, but the white Rook was not present at the moment.

"…Why is Ise-kun crying this time?" he couldn't help but ask, already knowing the answer will be having to do with the Pawn's perversions. He didn't know why he asked. These things had happened so many times to the point where asking out of courtesy was pointless.

"Issei, my love," Rias and Akeno weren't paying him any mind. They were too busy reading from a large pile of letters dumped on top of the president's desk. "I had been wrong about you all along. Ever since I saw your finely chiseled physique I knew under the guise of a pervert was a true Adonis…"

Akeno picked up another letter and read at a random place, "…how your eyes have my drawn like pools of melted chocolate in which fills me with the carnal desire to devour you whole…"

Another letter from Rias, "…your voice like an angel singing soothing hymns with each passing word…"

"…your laugh makes me swoon over in delight…"

"…strong arms to shove me down and… oh wow…"

"…tongue to force my lips open and ravage my mouth however it pleases you…"

Yuuto had heard enough. They were all love letters addressed to Issei… so why was the Devil who so strongly desired to have a harem this distraught? He didn't understand.

Like any good friend, Yuuto walked over to his fellow male Devil and patted him on the back in both comfort and congratulations. "Well, well, Ise-kun. It looks like you're one step closer to achieving your harem."

Issei's response was to sob that much harder, enough for the tears to start producing a puddle below his fetal-positioned body. He began to rock himself back and forth in an attempt to comfort his own being.

It was then Koneko arrived, completing the roster for the Occult Research Club. In her hands was a small bag of cookies with one half eaten hanging by her lips. She looked once at Yuuto in her usual silent greeting, looked at Issei, blinked once, and then proceeded to move to her regular spot on the couch to finish her snack. She said and did nothing else. She didn't seem to remotely care in the slightest about the weeping Pawn rolling around in the middle of the room.

Asia was fiddling with her fingers, unsure on how to comfort Issei. There were a few crumbles of papers around her with her notebook open filled with small notes Yuuto could make out as genuine compliments… like the ones found in innocent love notes. It would seem she had thought to write one herself but had, perhaps, failed to find the right words or gave up seeing as the letters themselves were doing the harm. She could only sit there in worry on the couch.

"…I don't understand what's going on," Yuuto finally said after his mind had to take the moment to analyze the situation. The processed data came up inconclusive. The little metaphorical hamster running in his brain had stopped dead.

Rias looked up at him through the lenses of her fake glasses. With a pompous smirk, she flicked one page up at him for the taking. Curious, he approached the desk and skimmed over the letter. They were like the countless hundreds he had received throughout his career in Kuoh Academy and couldn't understand what was so wrong. They were all nonsensical sweet nothings and confessions of teenage love. Some were shallow, some were immature, some were _actually _genuine, and the rest was all nonsense. Once again, typical teenage love.

That is… until he got to the end of the letter and saw who signed it.

He blinked. No… it couldn't be…

He put the letter down and pulled out another one, ignoring the drabble of the message itself and went straight for the name. Finding what was needed, he put it down and picked up another to repeat the cycle. It went on and on until he was ten pages in and did he finally realize something.

…Every single one of them was written by a _guy_.

"And to think I was actually worried," Rias said as she leaned back in her chair, a victorious smile plastered on her face.

"And to think I was going to skin some girls alive," Akeno said simultaneously mixing her voice with that of her King's. She did so purposely for everyone in the room to question whether or not they had heard her correctly.

"…What was that, Akeno?" Rias couldn't help but question it anyways, sensing the cold murderous intent slipping through her Queen's lips.

"Oh, nothing Buchou," said Queen returned with an innocent smile.

Regardless, Yuuto could now understand why Issei was crying a river and ruining the carpet. As the living incarnation of sexual prowess, Issei had driven his entire soul into seeking a harem of beautiful girls. It was why he was so accepting of becoming a Devil. Yuuto still remembers how unfriendly Issei had been _until _Buchou had mentioned in passing when one ranks up high enough they can inherit their own peerage. Issei immediately dove into his work right after that and was tied with Akeno on getting the most amount of contracts every week.

By the looks of things, all his efforts _did_ work… just not in the way he wanted and ended up exploding in his face.

"They're all dudes…" he heard Issei speak between sobs. "T-They call themselves the Hyou-_Doers_! I'm not someone's donut!"

"Right, that," Rias began to elaborate while making gestures with her hands to put emphasis in her story. "He came running straight here from the main building, crying the whole way. He practically threw himself before my feet and begged for the… 'nightmare to go away'. You should have seen the mob that followed him to this building. You just missed them as Akeno made them leave. Sona sent me a short text shortly after and explained to me Issei here has a new fan club dedicated to all things relating to him."

"…Filled to the brim with male students?" Yuuto asked.

The King nodded as she removed her glasses and placed them inside their case.

Any further discussion was put on hold at the glowing light of the magic circle in the corner of the room. Brows were raised at the interruption. They weren't expecting any guests… the only group Yuuto could think about that would appear had to belong to the Rating Game committee or perhaps a member of the Gremory clan. Perhaps, even, King Lucifer himself would appear.

"…Sitri?" Rias' brows knitted in confusion as she watched the circle form into the corresponding sigils. Someone of the Sitri family was traveling from the Underworld to meet with her. She couldn't possibly fathom who or why.

As was the norm of their people, Devils couldn't _just _make a normal appearance when being summoned. They always had to do something extravagant. Even Rias bathed herself in red phantasmal light when appearing during her rare summoning contracts. The Phenex family loved to bathe their selves in their fire. Quite possibly the only exception to this would be Grayfia, who simply chose to appear as is… But then again, the Strong Queen herself needn't any flash to warrant any spectacular attention when she herself was a presence to behold.

For this particular person appearing, a glitter of stardust, hearts, and rays of rainbow waves lit up the room as the small figure stepped through the dimensions. She was short, quite busty for someone her size, and dressed head to toe in a frilly pink outfit crossing that of a school uniform and a battle gown.

"Prepare to be amazed, everyone! Magical girl Levi-tan is here~" sang the young lady who stepped out of the ring, spinning around for her skirt to twirl with her, and making a pose for all of those within the room to admire her.

The majority of the Gremory Peerage were on their feet at the appearance of such a character.

"Leviathan-sama!" Rias stepped forward to welcome one of the Yodaime Maou. Outward appearance aside, this was one of the Devils that ruled over their entire society and demanded the utmost respect. She was a Devil not elected by the majority on popular vote through being the most charming…

…She was one of the four leaders for being the most powerful and most vicious of all the Devils.

"Hi there, Rias-chan!" Serafall Leviathan skipped her way over to the Gremory Heiress and gave her greetings. "Everyone. Sorry to stumble here on short notice."

"It's no worry, Leviathan-sama," Rias gave a warm smile. "But… if you're looking for Sona you might want to check the Student Council office."

"I was trying to get in there but So-tan rerouted the network to have me tossed in the middle of the Mediterranean!" Serafall pouted and stomped her feet. She then blinked and corrected her stance. "I-I mean… I'm actually not here on a visit. I'm here on official business. Sirzechs-chan wanted to be here with me but he's currently having his hands full back in the capital."

Ah. They had all known sooner or later someone big would be making an appearance since the Rating Game. Since Issei openly revealed to the entire supernatural community the existence of Predators there were bound to be repercussions. Serafall Leviathan, the Satan in charge of international affairs, would be that such person to approach, it would seem.

"Akeno, please prepare some tea for Leviathan-sama," Rias instructed, to which her Queen gave a bow and went to work immediately. The red-haired King returned back to Serafall, "Please take a seat wherever you prefer, Leviathan-sama."

"_Mou~" _Serafall puffed her cheeks when she plopped herself on the couch. "Call me Levi-tan or Serafall! I know I'm here on business but there's no reason to be so stuffy about it."

"Yes, yes, of course," Rias humored and gestured for her Pieces to position their selves around the room much like how Grayfia and Raizer were present. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure to be in the presence of the great Leviathan?"

Upon being served tea by the Queen, Serafall puffed her cheeks once more yet said nothing to correct Rias a second time on how to address her. "Rias-chan, I'm here to ask you a few questions as well as your Pawn. Is he by chance available?"

No one said a word as their eyes shifted over to the Pawn still crying with a bleeding heart in the middle of the room. How Serafall had been able to miss his presence was an anomaly.

Or perhaps she did notice him. Serafall took another sip of her tea and waited patiently for Rias to respond. She _did _ask if he was available, not if he was present.

Rias did her best to keep a straight face and keep the red shade of embarrassment from being revealed. Of all the times someone had to pay a visit it had to be when Issei was having one of his mental breakdowns. Granted, these happen on a regular basis… but still.

"I-Issei…" she did her best to keep up the smile. "Your King is in need of your presence…"

There was an audible sniff as Issei stood from his place at the side of the table. He stood tall, giving a salute to reinstate his obedience for her, and yet he continued to sob. "Y-Yes Buchohooohooohoooouuuuuu~"

Rias couldn't stop her hand from cupping her face in grief.

Serafall Leviathan stood and approached the Pawn; there was something in her eyes with the way they lit up at the sight of him. They were twinkling with praise, and at the same time narrowed in jealousy. She was not conflicted on the two emotions— she simply chose to express the both of them at the same time without shame.

"So _you're _the great Red Blur…" she said in a low tone as she leaned over to get a closer look at him. Her crystalline blue eyes peered up at him without her adjusting her stance.

Issei blinked when he wiped away the last of the tears. Immediately his eyes zoned in on the magical girl, particularly her attire and what curves the dress _emphasized_. He needn't have to look at her assets directly to get a full-view of them. True, they were nowhere near as bountiful as Rias' or even Akeno's, but given her small height and petite stature her bust was more than generous. Add in the innocent and adorable look she had in her eyes and in her behavior… she was a totally hot babe straight from one of those eroge he frequently played.

Be that as it may, he did not miss how her threat-level towards him was just as potent as it was with Grayfia Lucifuge. That is to say, this girl had the capability of keeping up with him and could potentially deal some serious harm should anything break out. He would be victorious in the end, but the toll would be stupendous. Dare he say the feeling of animosity was just one shade darker with her than compared to Grayfia? It felt that way, but he wasn't certain.

"Oh, um, hi?" he ended up sputtering like the excited horn-dog that he was. He was too engrossed with the size of her breasts while fantasizing what he would do to them instead of worrying about a cataclysmic death match that would destroy the whole region. "It's nice to meet you?"

She hummed to herself and took the moment to cycle around him, examining every detail about him through her narrowed eyes. She even went as far as to grab his arm, lift it above her head, examine it closely while squeezing the muscular flesh, knitting her fingers to test the tenderness. Her head nodded once, in neither approval nor disappointment, before she cycled back around to his front. With her observations done, she posed with one fist at her hip and a finger pointed directly at him.

Her boobs _jiggled. _He pretended to have not noticed.

But everyone else saw. Asia and Koneko puffed their cheeks in irritation. Akeno's smile grew while her fingers threatened to crush the tray in her grip. Yuuto could barely withhold his unamused laughter. And Rias tried her hardest to suppress her brow from twitching.

"I so declare, Red Blur, this magical girl will not lose to the likes of you!"

"…Eh?" Issei blinked as he was brought out of his fantasy regarding this magical school girl calling him 'Onii-chan'. Even as her threat level was through the roof he couldn't do anything against his nature as a pervert. Regardless, her declaration for **war **made him reevaluate her from scratch. "Sorry… what are you getting at now? Leviathan, was it? Sorry, but who exactly are you?"

The room couldn't be any quieter at that moment. The Gremory Peerage (sans Asia) flinched by his words. Rias was dreading herself. Of all the things she had taught him about the Devil civilization she neglected one of _the _most important things. And she was not just referring to the Yodaime Maou.

She was referring to Magical Girl Levi-tan. _Everyone _knew about her… or else.

No one moved. Not even Serafall. She was petrified. Nay, it was as though all of time seemed to have ceased to progress around her. All signs of life was gone from her.

"Um… hello?" Issei leaned forward and poked her cheek. Something in the workings of the World must have broken and he had a feeling he had something to do with it. After all, all of sudden she wasn't registering to his Predator senses.

"HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM?!"

And suddenly, his senses kicked off in the red zone as she came back to life. She was not furious, just more so surprised by his ignorance. Still, he had the feeling the entire building was going to be obliterated in an instant unless someone did something to calm her down.

"L-Leviathan-sama," Rias tried to plead with her. "I'm afraid the fault lies with me. I neglected certain parts in his education on Devil society. He's only been a Devil for two months…"

The Gremory King stood and went to both their sides. "Ise, may I present to you one of the Yodaime Maou, one of the leaders of all Devils, Serafall Leviathan."

Issei blinked once only from being startled by the value of her title. It would also explain why she felt so powerful according to both his draconian and Predator senses. He turned towards her and gave a courteous eastern bow of respect. "It's nice to meet you. Hyoudou Issei, Pawn of Rias Gremory."

"Oh how very polite~" Serafall smiled brightly. She cupped her hands together and returned the bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well Hyoudou Issei-chan. I'll be in your care for this— THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M HERE FOR!"

And just like that, like a frazzled child realizing she had been tricked, her personality completely switched.

She went back to her previous pose— hand on her hip with a finger pointed at him. "Now where was I…? Oh, yes! Red Blur! I refuse to accept you as the more popular among us! M-My fans are just going through a trial, do you hear me? They will come back to my side once they realize the errors of their ways!"

He had _no _idea what she was talking about. But she kept calling him Red Blur. Did that mean she was talking about his heroic identity… or that ludicrous anime character?

"Am I… missing something?" he asked of his master.

Rias began to elaborate calmly; thankfully, Serafall was waiting patiently for this. "Leviathan-sama is also known as Magical Girl Levi-tan back in the Underworld. She has a show dedicated just for her; and on occasion she will perform concerts for all her fans. She's the closest thing to a pop idol the Devils have."

"…Uh huh…" Issei nodded once and continued to stare at his master for further explanations. Never mind one of _the _most powerful and ruling Devils was a pop idol… of all things. He wasn't seeing the full picture.

Sera fall took this moment to explain things _clearly. _"My show was ranked at the top of the charts on the entire Devil network. Your disgrace of an anime didn't even make it past the top _fifty. _But then you go and pull that stunt at the Rating Game. And then _all of a sudden _your show jumps through the charts and knocks mine down to second place?!

"Not to mention the merchandise! Do you have any idea what you have done? Red Blur merchandise was being swept off the shelves like crazy in every store down in the Underworld! To the point where you couldn't find _anything. _Suppliers couldn't keep up with customer demand. So now we have back alley dealings in every city with smugglers _acquiring _your merchandise from the human world. There's a crime syndicate dedicated to just getting the stuff and has quickly become more powerful than the local enforcement could control. Marshall Law had to be issued to stop this new crime wave of smuggled figurines, coffee mugs, and plush toys!"

She needed a moment to calm down… but not before muttering quietly to herself. "And there's been talk Sunlight Studios has been given the clear to make another season plus a movie. I can't possibly imagine what kind of cybernetic warfare is going to erupt in the coming days just to leak those episodes…"

"Is… that why connection to the Underworld has been cut off?" Akeno couldn't help but speak up. It went against regulation for the Queen to speak without the King's permission, but the… lunacy of the situation demanded of it.

"Well… only half, really," Serafall shrugged as she reverted to a more calm, yet _chipper_, personality. "The other half of the reason is because Hyoudou-chan scared a lot of people by his performance in the Rating Game. Riots broke out from fear and confusion. This has also been happening in the human world as well, but I've heard things in Japan are especially out of order, especially in Kyoto. The House of Lords, Pillar leaders, and the Satans had to gather for an emergency meeting. I'm here to carry out the decision made in the meeting and to… evaluate Hyoudou-chan personally."

Her eyes changed. She dropped the persona of a playful girl and took up the mantle of a leader— one filled with such charisma and authority that transcended anything Rias could pull off. One who had the responsibility and duty to rule over millions of citizens with every decision either being beneficial or destructive on a whim. One who understood being such a figurehead meant protecting those people even at the cost of her life. At the same time, she was _more._

She was one who knew what he was and was more than prepared to face him if the need demanded of her. She was not intimidated by him being an Ultimate Killer; Serafall accepted his power for all it was worth.

Likewise, Issei's eyes focused on hers and hers alone.

"First and foremost," Serafall began, "Predator Hyoudou, what were your intentions when you revealed yourself at the Rating Game? Being recognized as the Red Dragon Emperor would have been more than enough to give you attention and merits, but why did you reveal yourself as Eighth, the Dragoon?"

He put his hands on his hips as he closed his eyes. His brows furrowed in irritation. Not because of Serafall's question, but because of the answer he would provide.

His eyes opened. **Hate **was filled to the brim in his gaze. Enough to make even Serafall react. She willed every fiber of her being from retracting a step— a reaction enforced by her survival instincts. But she was not perfect. Her eyes widened ever so slightly.

"I've had things taken away from me. And I'm tired of it. So very tired. Revealing who and what I am was a threat being made to the other seven. If they so much as _try _anything… I will kill them. It can't be any simpler than that."

His hand reached for Rias'. Hers was reaching for his at the same time. They met together and clasped onto another in firm union. Slowly, like watching ice melt away, Issei's rage was being replaced with…

His eyes moved throughout the room. They stared at each member of the Gremory Peerage. With each passing glance, with each heartfelt smile being returned onto him, his expression softened into tenderness.

His rage was being replaced with… love.

"I have something to protect," he went further. "You know… I was excited about being a Devil because I could have a harem. While, yeah, I still want one, just being with hot babes wasn't the reason why I wanted it. I wanted… companionship. I wanted to wake up with someone at my side. I wanted to walk down the stairs and be greeted with a good morning… not empty silence.

"I have a family. I am _very _content with my life right now. And I will do _anything _to make sure I never lose them. I've already lost too much. I won't let it happen again."

Rias squeezed his hand just a little bit tighter.

Serafall was quiet for a moment. Her crystalline eyes never moved away from his. His words cycled through her mind for some time before she gave him a smile. It wasn't one of her childish ones. It was a smile that spoke of sympathy— a smile that had suffered the same tragedies and horrors he had gone through.

"You pass," was all she said.

"I passed… what?" he asked and went to scratch his head. But he found his hand was trapped within Rias'. It wasn't his intention to reach for hers, but rather it was a necessity his wounded heart demanded of him against his knowledge. He stuttered an apology as he broke his hand free from her grip. A heavy blush dyed his cheeks.

Rias couldn't help but giggle at his bashfulness.

"I had ten questions for you to answer," Serafall elaborated. "But you managed to answer all of them in that one statement. Dragoon-chan, you are absolutely loyal to your master, Rias-chan, and to her peerage. And we know Rias-chan is always faithful to the Devils so there's no need to fear of you becoming our enemy at any point. I've decided you are not a threat. We would love to have you as our ally and wish to open negotiations for any potential future of service exchanges.

"And as a token of good will, we, the Devils as a whole, do acknowledge you and your power. In response, we have taken measures to grant you the appropriate privileges to fit one of your status."

"L-Leviathan-sama!" Rias blanched. "Does this mean…?"

"Yup!" Serafall responded with a large smile as she summoned a scroll from a conjured magic circle. It was tied together by a ribbon that probably cost the net worth of his house and bound by a crest of four creatures made out of solid gold. She handed it over to Rias.

Rias fumbled with the bindings. She was anxious almost like a child on Christmas morning. She was shaking with anticipation. Likewise, the other Devils of her peerage circled around her so to get a read on the scroll. But when she opened it for everyone to see it, Issei and Asia were unable to read anything. The contents were written in some sort of archaic squiggles, to which Issei could only assume to be the written language of the Devils.

Serafall noticed his clueless look and explained things herself. "Dragoon-chan, upon recognizing your title as one of the world's Ultimate Killer, we hereby promote your status from Low-class Devil to Ultimate-class and bestowed the title of Demon Lord within our society. Here forth you are—"

There was no warning. His hands were gripping on her shoulders and locking her in place. With a crazed, almost savagely carnivorous look, the living embodiment of sexual desire that was Hyoudou Issei was not looking upon the vessel that made up Serafall Leviathan. No, he was staring into the depths of her soul.

"Y-You mean I can have a harem?!" The question went beyond some child's wish to receive their desired toy. Or for a man lost in a desert to receive a drink of water. There were no words capable of describing the solemnity of his desires.

For the first time as long as she could remember, Serafall was very, very, _very _scared.

"Acutally, Ise," Rias spoke up as she continued to read the fine print of the document. "There are some… restrictions you will need to overcome on your own. It says here that while you are recognized by the Devil society as Demon Lord of all Devil affairs and territories governing Japan… all of your privileges that come with the title are on temporary hold until you can prove capable of handling the burdens that come with the job."

"Eeeehhhhhhhhhhhh?!"

Rias nodded and rolled the document back up. "Ise… do you understand what this means? It… it means you will be in charge in running all of Japan! You will be the acting viceroy, only directly under the Maous themselves! That's on equal grounds as the Archduke!"

Akeno hummed as she tapped a finger on her chin. "But… Buchou… don't viceroys have to be members of royalty? At least that's how it works in the human world."

Rias blinked. The scroll flashed open as her eyes spotted the subsection in less than an instant. Her eyes darted back and forth as she reread the section once, twice, and a third just to make sure.

"L… Leviathan…-sama…" she gradually lowered the scroll down as she looked at one of her four kings. "What does this mean? That Issei _must _be supported by a member with pure blood?"

"…Oh dear," Akeno said as her heart dropped to her stomach. The same reaction spread to Koneko and Asia. They knew what it meant.

…Except Issei, who was too busy looking between both parties in hopes _someone _will explain why he can't have a harem.

Leviathan answered Rias with a sweet smile, "Well, those sticklers wouldn't accept Dragoon-chan as their superior without a fight. They argued about tradition this and that, about having an outsider with no knowledge, upraising, and experience regarding Devil customs. So as a compromise we agreed he must marry into a pureblooded Devil family. Don't worry though, your parents are taking care of that part~"

Rias' face turned as crimson as her hair. Both in rage and in embarrassment. First, she couldn't believe her parents were already arranging another marriage for her. However, it was mixed in with the feelings of being forever bound to Issei and how much it made her heart flutter. She could say, without a doubt, having him as a husband was… appealing.

But marriage was too soon! She was still just a teenage girl!

Meanwhile, it had taken Issei a little bit longer for him to put the pieces together. By the time Rias was starting to calm down, his reaction made her blush return. "M-M-M-M-M-Marry B-B-B-Buchou?! T-Then that means… with the white dress… and white laces underneath… and then after the ceremony comes the honeymoon… and then at night…"

He gave a twisted grin as he began to cackle and drool.

Oh by the four horsemen, Rias knew what he was imagining as if he was sending subliminal messages directly into her brain. The scene played in her head… the poses they would make… Well, it was a good thing she was flexible otherwise _that _particular stance wouldn't be possible.

"K-K-K-Koneko-chan…" Rias' mind was brought back to reality as she saw her Rook plant a right hook directly into the Pawn's solar plexus. And down he went. He looked up at the white-haired girl with pleading eyes. "Whhhhyyyyyyy?"

Koneko did not dignify him with a response.

At the side, Asia was trying her best to hold back the tears. And Akeno was giving Rias a knowing grin… as if she knew Rias was fantasizing at the level Issei would have with any other girl. She found it impossible to be able to look at her Queen in the eye; the sadistic girl would just never let it down.

The only one unfazed by the proceedings was Yuuto, who was purposely distracting himself by reading the scroll so to not get involved unless absolutely necessary. Secretly, he believed Issei deserved whatever wrath the girls would unleash upon him. Reap what you sow, and all that.

"This is more of a trial phase than an actual promotion, all things considered," spoke Serafall, who was also ignoring a groaning Issei on the floor. "While he _does_ possess the title of Demon Lord, he will have to prove he is worthy and capable of maintaining the responsibilities that come with it. And if he can't, we are prepared to give him something better fitting his abilities.

"Dragoon-chan," she turned and leaned over so to speak directly at him while he was still recovering from a shattered spine. "While you will still be serving your King, you will have to find a way to carry out the duties of a Demon Lord. This includes the defending of your territory, appropriating resources to maintain your finances, monitoring all activity happening within your lands, and fulfilling the special summoning tasks required of a Devil of your rank. You'll also have to learn how our society works as a whole. This includes mannerisms, politesse, etiquettes, history, current affairs, foreign affairs, and economics. It's a long and hard road, Dragoon-chan. I strongly suggest starting first by making your own summoning circles and having your familiar distributing them all across Japan."

Steadily, his fragmented nerves were regenerating to the point where he could stand back up, albeit a little wobbly. Serafall even helped him up— how kind of her.

"Only then can I get my harem?" was the only thing he asked.

"Only then can you receive your peerage," she replied with a nod.

"Challenge accepted!" he said with a raised fist in the air and a foot planted on the coffee table. "But wait. I don't have a familiar. How do I get one? And I don't know how to make magic circles."

"Well…" Rias spoke up, "normally we would wait a little bit longer until you're more accustomed to being a Devil. But… given the circumstances, I suppose we can have you looking for a familiar. There's a forest in the Underworld where you can claim your own. I'll see if I can get a reservation from the Familiar Master. But don't hold your breath, Ise. He's always booked so it might take some time."

"Hmmm…" Serafall tapped her chin. "I think I can help with that at least. But I'm not doing it because you're the Red Blur! Remember, you are my enemy! I'm only doing it because you're the only thing So-tan ever talks about in her letters."

Issei had no idea who she was referring to at first. But… given the energy signature and how _familiar _it was… "Wait… are you by chance related to Sona?"

"Yup!" her eyes lit up like stars at the mentioning of the Sitri Heiress. "I am So-tan's big Onee-chan!"

Now _that _came as a surprise. Given her… height and childish personality, one would think the age was reversed. Seriously, Sona was the polar opposite of Serafall in every way. _Every _way. Sona was at least average in height, was nothing but stern and professional in everything she did (he wouldn't be surprised if there was a set procedure in how she brushed her teeth), and her breasts were not as bountiful as her sister's.

He shivered. For whatever reason it felt like he had just called upon Death itself by his thoughts.

"Huh, if I knew that I would have called her over…" he got off the table and flipped open his phone. "I mean, it makes no sense not seeing a relative when they come to visit."

Rias wanted to correct Issei as to _why _Sona avoided Serafall like the plague. But she could never dare to do so in the presence of the aforementioned person. She will have to wait until Serafall left to discuss things with Issei.

Serafall pouted and crossed her arms, "I was going to but then she had to play a mean trick on me and throw me in the middle of nowhere. By the time I figured out a way to break through her spell and enter the student council office she was already gone. Apparently Aju-chan's little brother got a little brave and requested one of Sona's engagement trials. So she's back in the Sitri House playing chess with him."

"Ajuka-sama's brother…?" questioned Yuuto to Akeno. "Wait. Hasn't the Astaroth heir been missing for some time?"

Akeno nodded and whispered back, "Apparently he returned while we were at the training camp. I heard a rumor he lost most of his peerage… The Astaroth family are keeping mum about the deeper details."

While Issei was capable of hearing all of this, he didn't think anything of it. Instead, his focus was locked on Serafall's words. "Engagement trial? You mean someone's asking for Sona's hand in marriage?"

Rias knew where this was going. Slowly, as to not alert anyone else, she began to creep her way towards Issei's side.

"Yup," Serafall nodded before giving a heavy sigh. "She's never going to find a man at this rate. But better for me! See, Sona's pretty smart. She only agreed to marry someone who's smarter than her and challenges any suitor that comes her way in a game of chess. They'll only be able to marry her if they win. But Sona will forever be mine because _I'm _the only one who has ever beaten her at chess. Ever!"

"First Buchou and now Sona-kaichou…" cried Asia, who could not find a footing in her so-called relationship with Issei. It seemed for every step they made together, someone else was already five steps ahead.

"Really?" Issei scratched his cheek as he recalled what transpired earlier in the week. He mostly began to mutter to himself, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. "That can't mean Sona and I are… Cause the other day we were playing and I manag— Erk!"

"Oh look at the time," Rias spoke up as she put all the weight of her body on her left foot… with the heel digging into Issei's toes. "Thank you for coming Leviathan-sama, and I'll be more than sure to help Ise prepare for when he becomes Demon Lord. But if you'll excuse us, we have several clients waiting for us and we do need to keep with the schedule. Please say hello to my brother for me."

Let it be reminded Issei could have avoided any harm coming towards him. From Koneko's punch to Rias' foot smashing his toes. But he didn't. Because he firmly believed they had a reason for doing it— mostly because he screwed up somewhere. Now… if only he ever learned whatever triggered these repercussions he might be able to stop them from happening.

But he did take Rias' _subtle _hint to shut the hell up.

However, Serafall was anything but stupid. Childish, sometimes immature, but she was an aged creature with centuries of experience on both the battlefield and in politics. She knew people of all kinds inside and out.

"You managed to… _what_?" she asked in an even tone. There was no playfulness. There was no room for argument. Her question wasn't a demand. It was a _threat._

The tables were turned as Hyoudou Issei, a Predator, virtually the most powerful being on the face of the planet, was given the fear of Serafall Leviathan shoved down his throat.

"_Who _won your chess match with So-tan?" she asked further as she stepped closer to him. The air grew very cold. He could see his own breath. Her eyes were glowing with power as now it was she who was baring into his soul. "And if the answer is anyone but my So-tan then you and I are going to have a problem. Understand?

"And, please, don't lie to me. I can tell if you do."

*Scene*

"Are you sure about this?" asked Tsubaki to her King as they were being led by the Sitri butler to the parlor room, where the Astaroth heir was waiting.

"I've never denied a challenge from any of them before," returned Sona. "Besides, I have a few questions I would like to ask him. I've a feeling I know where he's been this whole time."

News had yet to reach most ears about the return of Diodora. Nothing except the inner circle of the Pillar families had heard about it, and only through rumors. The Astaroth family was keeping quiet about seemingly everything regarding his absence. Only the family and, perhaps, the Satans knew what had become of him.

Rias wasn't the only one to come to the impression Diodora had been intercepted by the Predators. The description Asia had given to describe the Devil she helped in which got her expunged from the Church fit the Astaroth heir perfectly. And knowing his… tastes, he wouldn't let a maiden like Asia out of his sights and would go after her to add to his peerage. But given Asia was a part of the scheme of unlocking Issei's Predator perks, the other Ultimate Killers wouldn't tolerate any variables and would remove them.

At least, that was her theory. The timing was also a little _too _convenient.

"But… something doesn't seem right," Tsubaki spoke further. "The summons said it was from 'the sole proprietor of Astaroth conglomerate'."

"There are a lot of things wrong," Sona retorted. "Mostly the timing. He's never had any interest in my family affairs and I've never once shared a word with him. I don't recall ever meeting once either, even when our families are somewhat close. As for the summons, I think it's quite normal. Do you recall the second son of the Halphas Maphas clan? I think he's the current lord now. Anyways, he boasted every title he possessed when he asked for my hand.

"The current lord of House Astaroth is bedridden. And Lord Ajuka cannot interfere in the affairs of his former house as he is Beelzebub. It's not unreasonable to place all ownership of the Astaroth resources in the hands of the next heir. However, it is curious as to why he's not the current head if so."

Lucius, the Sitri Butler, opened the door and gave a gesture for the two girls to enter. When they did, they were greeted by her challenger, who remained in his seat with his legs crossed and back straight poised and regal. He was dressed in modern attire of a red button-down, a black vest with gold embroidery, slacks, and loafers. A hand was waved for them to draw closer in welcoming motions.

Except, Sona could not move another step. This was _not _the Astaroth heir.

"Hello again, Madam Sitri, and a pleasure to meet you, Madam Shitori," so greeted the last person on the planet she wanted to run into.

Sixth Predator, Chase Lance Rolan.

* * *

**The Servant of Oppai**

**Part 1**

Sakura didn't know what to make of the black tag with the white magic circle. Some little girl was handing them out in the middle of the market plaza. She had thought they were coupons of some sort and didn't think much when she accepted one. But to find it an occult magic circle startled her. Though her grandfather didn't give her much of an education when it came to being a Magus, she recognized the authenticity of the magic circle. It was a genuine instrument of formalcraft.

And this little girl was handing them out like free samples.

Only, when Sakura turned back around to inquire further of the little girl… she was gone. There wasn't a trace of her. Sakura had only looked away for a second.

She supposed there was nothing she could do except hope and pray people from the Magic Association don't catch wind of this. Pocketing the formalcraft tag into her pocket, she carried the remainder of the groceries back home. Shinji and her grandfather would be home tonight and Sakura was forbidden from going to the Emiya estate due to tonight's ritual.

The Holy Grail War was about to begin and Sakura was being forced to partake.

*Scene*

In the crypt of the Matou basement, the Summon Servant ritual was commencing. Placed on the center of the pedestal was an ancient mirror the Matou resources had uncovered in ruins dating as far back as Ancient Greece. That was to be the catalyst for the Servant she was to summon. Her grandfather speculated the potential Hero to be summoned was more than likely to be Perseus or one relating to his legend.

Honestly, Sakura didn't care. She wanted nothing to do with this Heaven's Feel ritual. But she had no choice in the matter. To defy her grandfather was impossible. She couldn't even choose death. His worms were inside of her. If he so chose, he could control her like a puppet.

She wanted nothing to do with the Grail War. However… she secretly had a wish. She wished to be free of this place. To be able to live a normal life. To, perhaps, have a life with her precious sempai…

Unbeknownst to her, the tag she had tucked away in her dresser three floors above began to glow. It burnt to a crisp as the magic sealed within it had been used.

The summoning circle began to alter. The lines began to cross as though they were serpents slithering here and there to find a more comfortable area. Even the glow changed from a pearly white to an eerie crimson. The pentagram had become an archaic symbol she couldn't understand, but she recognized the primary symbols that made up the foundations of the spell. After all, they were the same as the tag that little girl had given her.

The light died down when a figure appeared at the center of the circle.

"This is freaking awesome!" shouted the young man with childish enthusiasm. "My first contract as a Demon Lord! Hi there! My name is Hyoudou Issei and I— oh holy hell, what the shit is that _stank?!"_

This… was a legendary being who had surpassed the limitations of humanity to earn a place in the Throne of Heroes? He was… a teenager, probably the exact same age as she. He was _clearly _of Japanese descent with his bodily features and not to mention the modern school uniform.

Her grandfather gave a sneer. He shook his head as he examined the Servant she had summoned. "We've been cheated. What a disappointment. Everything was perfect but something had to have interfered. No matter. Throw him over to Shinji until I can learn further on what went wrong."

"Sorry, but uh… Ojii-san," the young man waved a hand to stop her grandfather from walking away. It made her heart skip a beat with the lack of respect he displayed towards the old worm. "Only the summoner gets the deal. If this Shinji fellow wanted to make a contract with me then he would have to had summoned me instead."

"Hmph," Matou Zouken gave another sneer and continued to make his way towards the stairway. "There are ways to fix that."

Sakura didn't say anything further. She didn't look at her Servant in the eye as she turned away to fulfill her grandfather's demand. With the limited magecraft of the Matou, she began to fiddle with the Command Seals on her left hand. The Crest Worms shivered under her skin but obeyed her will. She would sacrifice one of them to make the Book of False Attendance.

"Hey, I need to ask you something," her Servant spoke up.

She didn't look at him, but she delayed her spell long enough to hear him out.

Issei shifted his weight. There was an atmosphere of uneasiness cycling around him. He displayed expressions of confusion, disgust for the environment he was summoned into, and… concern? Not pity. Concern, worry, _care._

His voice was quiet, but demanding and grave. "Did you summon me to free you?"

Her eyes widened as her head snapped to his location. Her spell was halted. A sense of… _hope _slithered through her being, but it was only a small ember. The fire of her want was crushed by the decade of malevolence she had long ago accepted. There was no hope of freedom. Even if she were to win the Grail.

He gave her a smile. "Yeah, that's what the call told me when you summoned me. Don't worry. We can figure out a price afterword."

She shook her head. A tiredness she was most familiar with swept through her body. She began to speak as though it were a mantra, but in a sense it was to someone in her position. "You can't. No one can defy Grandfather. I must carry on the Matou line…"

He frowned. He raised his hand in the air and muttered something under his breath, some sort of command if she were to guess since the levels of prana spiked enormously around him. He snapped a finger; a red wave of warm… air blew by her. She didn't sense anything happening, but then again she wasn't a very sensitive sort of magus. The only way she would have known would be to analyze any anomaly among the Crest Worms. And they didn't react at all.

"My summoner's oppai, please tell me," he spoke with his eyes focused intensely on her chest. "What is it she desires?"

Sakura gave him a curious look, wondering for only a moment if he was crazy. Well, he _did _possess a ridiculously high Mental Pollution skill. He must have been if he was talking to her _breasts _of all things. Regardless, she dismissed his behavior and restarted the spell to creating the False Book.

"…What kind of sick _fuck _breaks a beautiful hot babe like you?" Rage filled his voice. His teeth clenched as she saw his eyes shift from mundane brown to a luminescent green. His pupils altered to befit that of a serpent's. His fists shook as _power _began to leak within the room. Sparks of crimson energy emitted from his being as the ground underneath him began to crack by some unseen pressure.

"Why?! Why are your oppai so hurt?! Oppai need to be loved! Oppai need to be respected! What that _monster _did to you _as a child! _What your foster brother did to you _repeatedly?! _I CAN'T FORGIVE THEM FOR DISRESPECTING THE GREATNESS AND BEAUTY THAT IS OPPAI!"

The **space **binding the entire Matou manor together began to shake. Sakura lost her balance and fell back. The Servant before her began to change his physical appearance. Scales, fangs, claws, and leathery wings replaced his humanoid features. The air turned a shade of red as his prana came flowing out of his body in a great flood.

Something appeared in his hand. A cylindrical metal tube about the length of his forearm. His Noble Phantasm? A black blade sprouted from its end, stretching to the length of his entire arm. The worms inside of her _painfully _began to squirm. That weapon in his hand was what they feared. It was in their cores to know that weapon would be their bane… whatever it was.

Issei's eyes zoned in on a space in the ceiling. But he was not looking at the stones… he was looking past them…

As if he could _see _Grandfather.

There was no sign. A _beam _of crimson energy was thrown out of his extended limb, directed towards the area he was staring at. The blast made her ears ache as the crimson rays drilled a hole through the building with no resistance whatsoever.

He lifted his weapon up, bent his knees, and then flew into the hole he made faster than she could have perceived.

An unsettling silence lingered in the crypt. Only the sound of her flesh being fiddled with by the Crest Worms could be heard.

Suddenly, she arched her back as pain unlike any other consumed her. This feeling of being burned from the inside was only comparable to her first few days when being thrown into the basement of the Matou crypt. She tried to scream. And perhaps she was. But everything was a blank as nothing existed within her world except for the pain.

Just as quickly as it came, it stopped.

Sakura's body collapsed onto the cold and unforgiving floor. Her body felt numb. Her mind felt like it was in shambles as everything was spinning. The strain was far too much for her to handle. The darkness consumed her as she was swept away into a dreamless sleep.

It would only be until the morning did she learn the Crest Worms were no longer present in her body. As if they had never been there to begin with…

*Scene*

Emiya Shirou couldn't move. The black beast before him was unlike any other he had ever come across. Lancer, Archer, and Saber were Servants of overwhelming presence. Any of them he could say without a doubt were leagues beyond him as by just standing near them he could tell they were above anything a human could ever hope to achieve. The gravitas a Servant exuded from _walking _made him feel inferior in every possible way.

Then, there was _Berserker. _Whatever foundation he had on the idea of Servants were completely blown out of the water as soon as the black giant materialized. He was a god of destruction given corporeal form. Every bit of his body radiated a desire to kill all of them. There would be no reasoning with him. There would be no way of evading him. Once his Master let him off his leash, Berserker would be upon them.

"Berserker," the white haired girl, Illyasviel von Einzbern, gave the sweetest of smiles that would normally be ideal for someone of her appearance. But it only made Shirou shake. "Kill them."

It would be inaccurate to say Berserker roared. Living creatures roared. Humans and animals alike could make the sound. No, the gut-wrenching noise screeching out of Berserker's lungs was a herald of the demise fate had already decided upon them.

He charged down the hill at a speed that should have been impossible by his size. In less than a second he would be towering over them. Shirou barely had the chance to realize what was going on. Saber lifted her sword and bolted out from his side to match the monster.

Something beat her to it.

They only saw a streak of… rainbow light coming from high above the heavens. It couldn't have possibly been a meteor that had conveniently crashed _precisely _at the point where the hero Herakles was charging at. No, fate was never that nice.

Plus, the meteor jerked _forward_ right before it was about to crash against the ground. As if all the momentum had been transferred towards its sudden new trajectory, defying all manner of physics, it crashed into Berserker. The ground erupted as a shockwave exploded upon contact. The unmovable Berserker was forced to take steps back from the strike.

"Wow that was close!"

When the dust settled, Shirou could make out a pair of florescent rays of multicolored energy made out of lines and shapes like the most intricate magic sigils and formatted at precise measurements to shape into a pair of wings. Before he could see anything further, the flicked once as if to stretch before retracting into the shoulders of the figure's back.

The figure was… a school boy, of all things. A _Japanese _school boy at that.

"What in the world…?" was all he could ask.

Berserker growled and moved to _annihilate _the interceptor, but his body moved no further than an inch. His body tensed, coiled and ready to spring once given the chance. However, his Master was keeping him from doing so.

"…Who are you?" Illya asked through narrowed eyes. "Why did you interfere?"

"Yo!" the young man greeted with a raised hand. "So I'm Hyoudou Issei, recently appointed Demon Lord of all Japan. But… according to the little voice in my head… I've been summoned into this Holy Grail War under the Class of Rider."

Illya's brow raised slightly in skepticism. She, as well as everyone else among the party, didn't believe a word he was saying.

"As to why I'm here," he continued with a slightly more serious tone. "I'm trying to fulfill the contract with my summoner. She's asked me to watch over that guy over there and to make sure he doesn't go kick the bucket or anything while this War goes on."

He pointed a thumb over his shoulder… one with pinpoint accuracy as it was directed at Shirou's exact location.

"Look," he went on as he placed both his hands on his hips. "I really don't want to fight if it can be avoided. And, personally, I would like to get this job done as soon as possible so I can get my payment and fondle my summoner's breasts as much as I want. So if you don't mind, turn back around and just walk away."

"Berserker…" Illya sighed. The joy she had in watching her brother die would have to be put on hold, it would seem. "I'm not in the mood for this. Kill him first."

There was no roar this time as Berserker brought his weapon down in a flash. The speed of his weapon created a vacuum of wind that blew away all else within the vicinity. Shirou brought his arm up to cover his face as he was pelted with debris of all kinds.

And then, impossibly, Berserker was knocked back as a twice as powerful shockwave struck his abdomen.

Issei stood firm. His humanoid flesh was replaced with draconian scales as a pair of crimson gauntlets coated his arms up to his elbows. He had just _punched _Berserker while his other hand had deflected the axe-sword. But he was not unharmed. Trickles of blood flowed down his face while his armor had suffered large cracks.

And yet, he smiled. "Sairaorg-san hits harder than you."

Berserker growled and brought his weapon around once more. Shockwaves shook the area as the two clashed against another. Berserker rampaged, swinging his weapon around recklessly and without form. His only goal was to turn his target into a smear of blood. His attacks were vicious, relentless, and unpredictable.

However, Issei was able to keep up. He moved before the blade could clip him. He redirected attacks and countered with his own. But it was Berserker's whiplash by his unreal strength that was hurting Issei. For no matter if the blade was redirected, the wind would splice open what area the blade passed by.

With another clash, Issei drove both fists forward to shove Berserker away for but a second. The hero's chest caved by the impact, but it did not slow him down. His feet slid against the ground and he leapt forward to continue his barrage.

But that moment of space was just long enough…

**"Balance Breaker!"**

When Berserker brought his weapon around to cleave his target in two, it was halted in place by the crimson gauntlet. The impact created a crater. And yet, Issei did not move from his spot. He stood, unbending, and _pushed _back.

Now, his body was clad in the crimson armor from head to toe. Golden spikes protruded around his joints while emeralds shimmered radiant energy around his limbs and torso. The air around him vibrated with _power _that suppressed the maddening aura Berserker had.

"H-H-H-H-H-Hax!" shouted Illya as a heavily shaking finger was pointed at the Rider Servant. Her eyes were as wide as saucers with an expression as though her entire world was flipped. "Hax, I say! No one said you can summon the Red Blur in the war!"

It was Issei's turn to roar. It was triumphant, inspiring, and victorious. His voice brought strength to the virtuous and weakened the wicked. Simply hearing it made Shirou stop shaking.

And how could he not? He knew who this individual was. The Red Blur was his ideal icon! He was a true Hero of Justice in the modern age. This was the being Shirou aspired to become one day.

Issei's claws dug into the stone of Berserker's weapon and shattered it in his vice grip. At a speed that made him renowned as the _Red Blur, _he brought his fist around to pummel Berserker. No one could see _where_ his attack struck. The arm simply vanished as _several _places over Berserker's body were cratered and bent. The mad warrior brought his arm down to smash into the crimson hero's side, but that limb too was shattered.

"Dragon Shot!" cried Issei as he brought his fist around once more.

A ray of crimson energy was fired off as his fist made contact with the monster's face. Berserker's head was completely incinerated.

His body fell over in a lump of disfigured and smoking flesh.

Yet, Issei continued to stare down at the body of the madman. As if he was expecting it to get back up.

"Vorpal," he commanded and extended his arm. A slot under his wrist opened up and out slid a cylindrical tube for his hand to grab. Without any other command, a black blade extended from the hilt.

"Wait," Saber spoke up for the first time since the Red Blur's arrival.

"He's not dead," the crimson Servant turned his head only to address her while keeping his attention focused on Berserker. "He will get back up."

"W-What?!" Illya shrieked. "How do you know what his Noble Phantasm is?!"

"…Noble… what?" the Red Blur looked back at the white-haired girl and tilted his head in cluelessness.

Saber lifted her weapon. Wind stormed around them as the sheath of invisibility was lifted. Her sword, a radiance only comparable to the first rays of the rising sun, was pointed at the back of the draconian Servant.

"Saber, what are you doing?" Shirou asked.

Saber's face was murderous.

The Red Blur turned completely to look at the Servant of the Sword. "I'm not your enemy. I don't want to fight a bishojou-sama like yourself if it can be avoided. So please don't give any intentions of killing me. Besides, I'm not interested in shorties."

"Did you think I would forget you, Rider?" Saber's grip tightened to the point where her arm was shaking. Her teeth were grinding in absolute loathing. "I don't care if you are him or another copy from the Throne; yours is an existence I cannot allow to carry on. You are the adversary of the chivalrous code, a dishonor to Ddraig for possessing his power! You are the enemy of women everywhere and I will not forgive you for what you did to me!"

"…Eh?"

"Saber! What are you—" Shirou tried to snap her out of… whatever it was she went on about. But it was too late. She kicked off the ground and charged at the Red Blur like a speeding bullet.

Blades of gold and black clashed. Rather, some unseen force was keeping the two from colliding. The black blade was devouring the light of Saber's weapon while her Noble Phantasm was shining to push away the darkness. Both existences were a contradiction of another. Neither could meet no matter how much the other pushed.

Issei tried anyways. But the best he could do was shove Saber aside and try to gain some distance. He moved when she brought her weapon back around to carve into his armor. He knew when she feinted and knew where to counter her strikes. But it wasn't like he could read her movements. It was obvious she was far more skilled in swordplay than he was; the Rider was more so reacting upon instinct than reading the flow of the battle.

She clicked her tongue in agitation when her decisive blow turned into a small clipping against his arm.

"AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Yet, somehow, it was more than enough to turn the tides of the battle in her favor. That small nick made him reel out in pain. Smoke released from the scratch as his flesh under the armor was beginning to burn. He couldn't help but release his weapon to grab his arm upon reaction.

Saber took this chance to swipe at him.

Those wings of multi-colored symbols lit up from his back. When Saber brought her Noble Phantasm around he was within her range to be cut no matter how fast he had been previously. However, the blade only cut air as he simply vanished.

…Because he stood twenty meters away.

"Seriously, what the shit ojou-sama?!" he reeved in agony. "What did I ever do to you?! I'm trying to help you and your Master!"

Saber brought her radiant blade back up as she readied herself for another strike. "Your actions may seem heroic but your purpose is most vile! Did you not share with us the illicit payment you were to acquire once this affair was over?"

"You're crazy!" he argued. "I'll have you know _everything _is heroic if you are giving your life all in the name of oppai! Everything I've done for the world has been in the name of oppai! When there is evil, there will be oppai that are in danger! If my summoner's oppai want me to protect her sempai, then I will face all the evils of the world for them! Hear my words, ojou-sama, I _will _grope those double-D oppai if it's the last thing I do!"

…What?

Something wasn't right. This… This couldn't be _the _Red Blur. This must have been some kid cosplaying in the armor. Right. That had to be it. The Red Blur didn't fly around the world, stopping wars and crime of all kind, just for the sake of… breasts. He did it because he was a Hero of Justice!

…So Shirou chose to believe in order to keep the light shining for his hero.

"Your words are a verdict you've set on yourself!" declared Saber. "That is all I need to hear. You will face your punishment and atone for your crimes by my blade! I will send you back to the Throne for what you did to all those girls and to Irisviel!"

Illya turned ghastly pale as her eyes were locked upon Saber's form. "…Mama?"

The Red Blur groaned as he readied for the next round. To the side, Berserker's head was nearly done regenerating. They had less than a minute before it would be complete. The levels of prana spiked in the air was the Red Blur lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. Crimson sparks lit up as a wave of red energy spread around the area.

It completely washed over Saber, not affecting her from whatever magic he had tried to unleash. She took that as the trigger to initiate her attack. With a Prana Burst, she fired off at him faster than previously before.

"What?!" the Rider cried in disbelief; not for her increase in speed but because his spell was ineffective. "No way! Even Li Qin was affected by Bilingual!"

Once again, black and gold clashed as the two battled. Saber's eyes shone with determination and righteous fury while Issei's narrowed in desperation. He was faster and stronger than Saber, but she was by far the better fighter. Even with his… ability of foresight, what she assumed to be some personal skill, she was turning this into a sloped battle.

If she could stop him from using the full potential of his Noble Phantasm… she could win.

"BOOOOOOOOOST!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

The air turned thick. It slowed the speed of her movements down considerably. Her eyes widened by this impossibility. His power had jumped levels beyond comprehension. The prana he was releasing should not have been possible. Unless his Master was some phantasmal being or even a Dead Apostle he shouldn't be able to produce such quantities of prana.

He snapped his fingers once more when he had the chance. A _wall _of crimson energy splashed out and pushed Saber back. But like a blanket it wrapped around her, coated her armor, and seeped into the fabrics. She could feel the unnatural energies of her adversary invade her body.

"Ojou-sama's oppai," he began to ask.

Her eyes widened with recognition.

"What will she be doing next?"

Tears threatened to break from her eyes as all of her secrets were being whispered back to the Rider. Her heart was not being forced to tell. No. It was, of all things, her _breasts _the usurper of Ddraig was speaking with.

"RIIIDDDEEERRRRR!" she cried in fury and brought Excalibur down to cleave him from his shoulder to his waist.

This time, he was more than prepared to avoid. Her moves were expressed to him before she could prepare the first step of initializing it. Even if she should suddenly shift her attack or even swing at random, he would still know of her intentions because it was _she _telling him. This was the witchcraft she was more than familiar with.

His attention was diverted for only an instant. The Berserker was rising.

"I _really _don't have time for this," he sighed. "But I'll always have time for _this!"_

After dodging the next futile strike, he tapped her shoulder.

Cold sweat broke through her brow as she knew what was to come next. Her arms were already moving to cover what she could.

He snapped his fingers once more.

Her armor disintegrated into motes of dust while the fabrics of her dress was being shredded into strips far too small for her to be able to sew back together. She was rendered nude by his abominable witchcraft. Her Magic Resistance could not protect her since he enhanced the potency of his spells to counteract her defense.

"RRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!" she cried out in a voice worthy of signaling the Seraph of Justice himself to come down and smite the draconian Servant.

"Aaaaaaannnnnnddd… memorized!" he paused for only a moment to capture her nude figure. She knew every detail had been observed no matter how hard she tried to cover what little modesty she could. In most cases, she wouldn't care and would use this opportunity to strike him down. But because it was _him_, she felt the need to cover herself as a last stand against the epitome of perversity.

"You know, I take it back ojou-sama," he said as he rubbed the underside of his helm in a manner one would rub their chin. "You're more of a petanko than a loli."

She could only glare at him in her absolute hatred for this _creature._

His wings blazed once more and then he was gone. It took a moment for everyone to realize where he had transported to.

"Hey, wait!" Shirou tried to buck around as the Rider picked him up and slung him over his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, but my summoner wants you to live," Issei stated as they began to fly up into the air. Below them, Berserker looked up at them as he prepared to jump for the lucrative height. "Don't worry, loli-ojouchan won't do anything to Saber-ojousama. I can just tell."

He didn't get any much of an explanation as he was too worried about Berserker. The mad Servant fired off the ground at them like a rocket. He would reach them in but a second.

Except, Issei wouldn't allow that. With his wings blazing a little brighter, they flew away at a speed that could only be described as a crimson shooting star in the night sky.

…Leaving Saber alone with Illyasviel.

"Saber-chan," the homunculus made her way over towards the Servant of the Sword. Any embarrassment was gone as Saber stood without a care for her nudity among the presence of an enemy Master. She was more than willing to fight without any covering if she must.

Illya wasn't in the mood to fight any longer. There wasn't a point to fight Saber anyways now that Shirou was gone. Besides, there was something else she wanted to talk about.

"What did that so-called _hero _do to my mother?"


	12. Twilight Healing

**One guess. Yup. A note!**

Hello everybody and once again we gather here today to read the next chapter of Eighth the Dragoon! As always, I thank everyone who has stuck with me this far into the story. Now allow me to say that we are entering the Excalibur arc and starting another arc that is going to stretch over two others. This one's going to be BIG. Promise.

Before I continue, I'm going to advertise something. February 7th, 2015, this Arrixam shall be a guest star on a little podcast known as Fandom Flux. This is a show a group of fellow fanfiction writers gather around for and discuss important matters on how to write stories. In this week's episode we discuss "How to Start a Story" and the genre "Romantic Comedies". I strongly urge those who write to take a peek. The link will be posted on my profile the day the episode airs, or you can Youtube Fandom Flux this Saturday at 12 Pacific... I think that's when Casey W uploads it.

Getting back on track, I've rewritten the author notes on the first chapter. Just saying. Second, I've added chapter names to every chapter. Feel free to skim through if you're that curious. And third, Third Fang and I have worked together in rewriting the synopsis of the story. Hopefully this one is much more accurate than the vague piece of shit I first came up with.

Oh, fourth, I apologize but there is no omake this chapter. Reasons follow: 1) the chapter is at a whopping 21k, 2) I ran out of ideas, and 3) the chapter is HEAVY. I felt having an omake would ruin the setting. So the misadventures of the Servant of Oppai shall continue next chapter. Promise.

Moving on. Replies to reviews and PMs.

First and foremost... the 29 schmucks who asked me to do lemons (you know who you are). My reply to this is...

Moving on! Yes, I tend to ignore certain things quite often. I do this a lot if you haven't noticed.

The harem, the "main" girl, and if Sona is a love interest have been decided. Long, long, looooooong ago. If I didn't share the details then I wouldn't do it now. But I will say in regards to the "main" girl... I never had any intentions of having one. Period. Rather than having one main love interest while having the other girls on the side, I figured I'd give everyone equal loving. It's difficult but it's a learning process for me and I accept the challenge!

Last, in regards to my lore... PLEASE stop asking me questions through PMs. Most of it is the same question I have to copy and paste from other people. If you're so curious then please post your question on your forum so I can answer it ONCE for everyone else to read. I do love how you're all so interested but replying to several people over the same thing is tiresome.

Alright, that's everything. I think. If not do hit me up and I'll get back to you!

Now then, on with the show!

* * *

**Beta: **Hold it! Let's get one thing straight. These guys don't help me with ANY proofreading. Never have. I send my ideas to them, they put it through the meat grinder, and whatever comes out safe and sound gets put in here. Most of the time. Half of the time I sneak things in without their prior knowledge. These schmucks are...

**Third Fang  
Redmoon2**

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

Far too many emotions flashed through Sona. Some she could classify; others were some she had never experienced before in her life. But all of them broke through the channels of her heart with such an influx she couldn't process anything. Had she not a strong will and a foundation of mental exercises she would have gone into shock and passed out right then and there. Regardless, it still had an effect on her as she began to visibly shake and break out into a cold sweat. Her balance swayed and her breath hitched.

Such a reaction had never been seen before by her Queen, Shinra Tsubaki. Her King was a rock who could withstand the pressure of a Predator for nearly two years. Tsubaki had run out of Issei's house twice after the Ayame incident when his murderous intent had leaked. Yet her King always stood at his side. While Tsubaki _still _had a level of fear for Issei, Sona treated the Ultimate Killer as she had as though he were a member of her peerage. That is to say, full of respect and a bond of companionship.

Not even her sister, Serafall Leviathan, could strike up such an antiphon from Sona.

"…Waiting?" Rolan replied in a condescending tone. His hands resting on his lap opened slightly in a gesture to show he was passive about her inquiry. "I'm going to assume you're asking why I'm challenging you. I am… going to let you answer that on your own."

His scowl was ever as present on his brows as it had always been. But there was something of amusement in his tone. Like this was a _game _to him.

Sona was seeing nothing but red. Everything was just a great blur with only Rolan in the direct center. Never before had she lost control of her emotions.

Her arm was being pulled. Sona had to blink and bring herself back to reality to learn what it was pulling against her. When she looked, her Queen had her hand around her wrist and was keeping her in place. It only took a moment for Sona to realize she was on her way to do… something to the Sixth Predator and her Queen had saved her from making a mistake that more than likely would have been her last.

Tsubaki, in the meantime, had stopped her King because there was something about Rolan— an unknown individual to her— that put her on edge. The way his eyes looked at them both didn't so much as observe as they did _decrypt _every last feature. Then, there was the way he was sitting. Though his legs were crossed and he seemed lax, something within the back of her mind was calling on her to stay as far away from him as possible. It was an invisible force similar to the dangers of being near a symbol of God, albeit from a different source.

To Tsubaki, the man was dangerous. Deadly even.

Sona needed a moment to gather herself. She didn't need to be fully aware of herself to know she was about to assault one of the eight greatest killers on the planet. And among the eight of them, Rolan was notorious for killing all in the name of his displeasure. Right now he was finding her _entertaining_. There was no telling if she would be able to walk away if he lost his interest.

"You… c-can't be here," she tried to revert to her stern nature. Alas, her body was still shaking with the surplus of negative emotions. He didn't respond, only to continue to stare at her in anticipation for her to carry on with her words. She needed another moment for herself before complying. "How are you even here? Crossing into the Underworld is one thing, but sending a marriage proposal to a pureblood Devil is another. Not to mention the legal repercussions are going to be outlandish given you are—"

Her eyes flickered towards Tsubaki before she revised her statement.

"…Given who you are," she chose to say instead. It would be best to keep his identity from her Queen else have her go through a similar, or perhaps worse, emotional whiplash. He noticed this; his brow rising slightly was her only indication. "Please leave. I think you've done enough."

"That's not for you to request," he said dismissively with a shrug. His brows furrowed slightly. He was getting annoyed, almost disappointed. His hands unfurled as he sat forward. "You have all the clues and I can see it in your eyes you know the answer to your questions. But you don't want to believe it solemnly because it is _me. _In regards to _who I am, _it would be trafficked by your superiors whenever I step foot in your territory. Twice so for what I am trying to achieve.

"And, Madam Sitri, all of them have been cleared. I would not be here, in your home, if I hadn't the permission, especially given by your parents."

She refused to accept it. She refused to give him an inch. Sona desperately looked for a way out of this. The answer was written as clear as day for her, but she refused to let it be the truth. There _had _to be something she could use to turn this against him and to get him to leave.

His scowl deepened. He was losing his patience.

"M'lady," Lucius the butler stepped forward. On most circumstances he would remain silent in waiting for a directive for his services. But as the head butler of the Sitri House, he was just as involved with the affairs of the family as his Lord and Lady. And in their absence, he would be the one to step in and maintain control.

"Sir Rolan has made a proposition for the House of Sitri. He wishes to exchange knowledge and resources between the two Houses. And… I am afraid the Duke and Duchess have both agreed to his offer and are already making the arrangements."

There was a tightness in her chest from her butler's explanation. "…What? How… N-No. They can't do this! I am only to marry one who is capable of beating me in a game of chess. That was the agreement we all came to. They can't just revoke it like that! And, for the better part, _that man _does not qualify as eligible. He's not even a Devil!"

There was a sound that made her heart stop altogether. Had Tsubaki not been by her side she would have fainted.

As he sat, still as poised as he was before, a pair of black leathery wings sprouted from below his shoulders.

The question, the statement, the _words _Sona wanted to say were on the tip of her tongue, but she could not manage the function to produce a sound.

Without so much as a blink, without changing his impatient expression, the wings flicked once before retracting. "I believe the word your parents used was… overqualified. Now, I can't offer anything from any of the factions, countries, and organizations I work alongside, I have offered an exchange of things I _personally _have acquired.

"And before you argue any further, remember your place, Madame Sitri. You are the _heiress _of the family, nothing more than a little princess with a fancy title but no power whatsoever. Much as the same your friend Gremory couldn't argue against her parents, you've no right to argue against them because _they _are the Lords and Lady of the House. _I, _however, am offering you the chance. Play a game with me, win, and I will revoke my request for your hand."

"…And if I refuse regardless?" she asked. She knew the answer. But she needed to hear it. She wanted _nothing _to do with this monster. His answer would be a reminder for what she was about to fight for.

He understood this and answered with a more solemn tone, one with an ounce of respect that he always flaunted just for her. "You can't. However, if you must, the only way out of this would be to relinquish your name and any affiliation to the House of Sitri. You will be demoted to a Low-class Devil and start from scratch. I'm sure a woman of your caliber can rise to that of a High-class within a few short years.

"But in that time, all of your privileges will be removed. Your status as a King will be terminated and all of your Evil Pieces will be disbanded. Some of them _might _be picked up by your fellow Devils, but the rest _will _be qualified as Strays and be hunted down in due time. If I speak with my King I can have him add Genshirou— I've an interest in his Sacred Gear.

"Are we clear, Sona Sitri?"

Sona did not answer in words. With the resolve of a King, she stepped forward to accept his challenge. She sat across of him with only the table between them.

"Luscious," he said in a commanding tone. At first, she had thought it was an absurd and vulgar compliment to her response. But then, and after seeing what happened after he so commanded, she recalled it was the name of his familiar. Luscious Symphon Melodic.

A chess set materialized on top of the table. There was no intricate magic circle, no sign of it transferring from another plane of existence, nothing. It had simply appeared and it was there. Nothing more.

He gestured for her to make the first move.

Her heart was racing. She put steel in her resolve and replayed his words through her head as a reminded for what she would be playing for. She couldn't back down. Her entire peerage was on the line. Not to mention he had openly stated he had an interest in Saji; as a King she couldn't allow someone— correction, some_thing_ like this monster to get his hands on one of her Pieces.

The clues in his words indicated he was more than confident in his victory. That this game was nothing more than a showcase, a boast of superiority not very unlike the way Raizer Phenex paraded his pedigree. She was already his on a legal standpoint if her parents had dismissed their agreement and began the arrangements… without her prior knowledge. There wouldn't be any need for him play this game with her.

As though sensing her thoughts, and perhaps he was given the way he had been staring at her the entire time, he adjusted his seating and spoke. "If I were to jump straight to the marriage I would have to deal with you complaining about never doing what we are doing right now. I'd rather deal with it now for a short amount of time instead of later when we'll have fucking _forever._"

She looked up at him with a skeptical look. His brows creased further in annoyance by her look. "…Are you saying you're giving this chance so I won't have a reason to _complain_?"

"Yeah," he responded bluntly as he crossed his arms. "Think about it. If we marry, then we'll be stuck together until our lives end. That's a _very _long time. And at every chance, whether intentional or not, you will be reminding me that I did not marry you by _your _rules. I'm not putting up with that."

She… had nothing to say about that. A part of her wanted to call him out on it, but given the way his personality slightly shifted to one more… leisurely it was a sign he was being himself rather than a figurehead. But the other part of her said that, perhaps, he _was _being honest with his intentions but at the same time not revealing _everything. _He had to have ulterior motives.

The most obvious of questions, why _her_?

Finally, she made her first move.

"Your summons declared you as the sole proprietor of the Astaroth conglomerate," she stated and waited for him to respond.

He only gave her a blunt stare. No words.

She didn't bother withholding the grimace. He wasn't someone she respected. There was no reason for her to be polite with him other than through her personal morality. "Since you are a… Reincarnated Devil… would that make Diodora Astaroth your King?"

"He is the one to have Reincarnated me, so yes," he responded and made his first move. "There was a… misunderstanding on his part I'm not allowed to talk about by a legally binding contract. However, I can say it involved him making a _very _stupid mistake, a number of female Devils dying, and then us coming to an agreement so it doesn't happen again."

"…The Astaroth conglomerate," she stated. He didn't answer; he wouldn't anyways. "But as it is a chain of businesses run by the Astaroth clan, all of which are businesses only pertaining in the Underworld, an outsider would not be able to have any influences on its proceedings. That… is why you became a Reincarnated Devil."

Again, he didn't answer. After all, he was legally bound from doing so.

She made her next move, "I believe I deserve the right to know something. The Sitri family have little to offer for… someone of your stature. We possess the largest amount of nature reserves in the Underworld and a chain of the best medical facilities. What could you possibly want with us?"

"You are right," he said with a more lax tone. "The Sitri clan's resources aren't in my interest whatsoever. While your research in medical sciences is remarkable, it doesn't coincide with anything I'm trying to achieve. Unless I have a Devil acquaintance in need of some surgery, I see no point in it. But then, if they did need something of you, I'd rather fix the problem myself.

"Can't I just say I have an interest in you personally?"

Leaving off with his response, he moved his second piece.

It made Sona's skin _crawl. _The idea of this _thing _being infatuated with her made her want to puke. She had to take a deep breath to gather herself. This time, she didn't suppress the scowl as she rubbed the side of her cranium from the oncoming headache. "No, just… no. I don't believe you. Do what you will to me right now if this upsets you, but you're mistaken if you think I'm going to listen to your drivel any further."

"Then why ask?" he retorted more bluntly than usual. "Were you expecting this to be some part of my nefarious plans to… fuck if I know… create some cyborg Devil from both Sitri and Astaroth fields of study? I don't need a marriage to do that; an amendment in the treaty I already have through your sister would grant me that.

"And for future preference, I'll warn you right now," his eyes narrowed as his red and blue eyes glowed with a light that made her shiver and crane her neck in a way to instinctively draw space between them. "Don't ever call me a liar again. I refuse to be anything similar to that filthy hypocritical _whore _from the Church. It's your move."

The presence returned to a stoic form he previously presented when they walked into the room. He leaned back in his chair and gestured towards the board. Sona took a moment to look at her Queen, who was standing erect against the wall. Tsubaki was biting her lips as she looked between her King and Rolan. She had felt the wave of killing intent even when it wasn't directed at her.

"…Let's say your intentions are…" she couldn't suppress the shiver even if she wanted to try, "…_true, _I am sure there are many other candidates that are more than willing to fill the role. Who are more attractive, who are more appealing, who are more interesting, and who are more _tolerant _of your nature."

"I didn't think you were the vain type to ask me to compliment you," Rolan returned without tact.

It was her turn to give him a blunt look.

A miniscule sliver of enjoyment slipped into his gaze before it was stifled by his scowl. "I don't hate you, Madame Sitri. That in itself is a rarity. I won't fabricate some ballad about how I fell for you or some other garbage, because I haven't, not even close. You and I don't get along; even if we had met under different circumstances we never would be well together. And that is why I believe it should be you. You know exactly who I am, accept the fact, and still despise me for all I am.

"Most would cower before me. Most would build defenses, send things to kill me, or try to grovel. Though you still fear me enough to go out of your way to never earn my ire, you at least show signs of defiance. Twice so far you've come to the mindset to wish me harm even if it is the last thing you would do. You are someone I can have a conversation with. I am not looking for a good woman who will listen to everything I demand of them, Madam Sitri. I am looking for a _person._ Someone with this special something called individuality."

She still didn't believe him. There was more to this story. There must have been. She had a strong feeling it had something to do with Issei but no matter how many clues he left in his words there wasn't anything she could grasp. He was playing with her. At the dinner party he stated he did this intentionally for her to figure things out on her own. The clues were there but they made little sense, if at all.

She moved her next piece while trying to think of all of their encounters.

"Checkmate."

The sound of his bishop landing on the glass surface was deafening.

His move came right after hers. It had been his plan all along. He moved one pawn forward, his knight on his second move, and then he had moved his bishop across the field. There was a gap in her line; his bishop was perfectly lined to take her king. And her king could not move as it was surrounded by all her other pieces.

Three moves. He had sealed her fate with a tactic only simpletons had attempted to defeat her with. They had never worked before because of their obvious intentions. The opponents who had used it had either looked down on her, questioned her level of intelligence, or were simply foolish to believe it would work and couldn't think of a plan once it failed.

This time, she had fallen for it.

Tears of anguish and frustration threatened to spill out as her hands were combing through her hair. She had _lost. _She had lost against the most despicable of people on the planet and had been outsmarted by the most folly of strategies.

"Wait," her Queen moved from her place in the corner and approached the table. "This shouldn't be allowed. You cheated!"

"Tsubaki!" Sona shouted to get her Queen to stop.

"It was my understanding this was to be a test to see which of us was the more intelligent," he began _calmly, _if such a word could be used in this situation. "Madame Sitri, tell me, how long have we been playing?"

She didn't understand the question. Of course. There was always _more _to anything he had to say and do. There never was anything simple when it came to him. However, she couldn't find the reason behind the question and so gave in. She answered, "Less than half an hour. Twenty-two minutes and forty-nine seconds if you want to be precise."

"No, we haven't," he shook his head. It made her scowl this time as she _knew _that was the time they consumed playing chess. However, his next words answered _everything._

"We have been playing this game since we first spoke to another. My every move has been led up to this point and I will not deny that I will still be playing the game."

Sona blanched. No. He couldn't. He had every intention of reaching this event as early as those three weeks ago? While he was still manipulating events in the background?

It was then Sona realized she never stood a chance against him. For all her brilliance, she had been unable to predict this far ahead. Rolan, however, had been more than prepared long in advance.

Alas, her Queen didn't stop. Her face was a crimson hue as anger fueled her thoughts. "You've played with my master's mind and corrupted her thoughts with distractions. This game shouldn't be—"

Anything further she was about to say was stuck in her throat.

Rolan had lost his patience. All of it. His eyes glowed once more as absolute death glared through his gaze. But this wasn't an intimidation tactic. No, he was going to kill her. His mind was set on it.

Power filled the room as the temperature spiked.

"WAIT!" Sona leapt out of her seat and pushed herself in front of her Queen. "I have a request!"

Time slowed to a crawl as nobody moved.

The suffocating heat died down but Rolan's eyes remained alight. His gaze was so piercing it was looking _through _Sona and peered into Tsubaki's eyes. "**Don't **do that again."

Tsubaki understood. She nodded. There won't be a second chance.

His eyes did not shift in direction, and yet Sona knew in the next instant his gaze was upon her this time. "If it's anything that has to do with Hyoudou, I'm going to decline. I've no reason to give you anything."

Sona tried to fix the balance of her glasses. Tried. Her hand was shaking far too much and her fingers kept fumbling around the frames. She decided to leave them be. Sona had been shaken to her core. She had just jumped in front of the being who could kill her without a second thought. She remembered a time when she was frightened of Issei because of his status as a Predator. However, she knew he would never do her any harm; and despite that she had been terrified of him for the longest time.

There was a significant difference between he and Rolan. Issei _could _kill her at any given chance but never would. Rolan, on the other hand, _will _kill her for even the most delicate of matters. The gravitas between the two could never be compared.

Sona gulped and tried to find her resolve once more. She needed a moment, but a moment she didn't have. Rolan was annoyed and was quickly losing what little patience he had offered from her outburst. It was nothing but desperation talking as she said the first thing that could come to mind.

"I… You… Yes, you do have a reason." Though in a critical state, her mind was always sharp as it had found a flaw in his words. "On the night we first spoke… Y-You said you would grant me one request. Only one and I would need to choose wisely. I am calling you on your word."

His eyes flashed with recognition. It would seem he had forgotten about his promise. And there it was— the chink in his armor that was a plan. The hole he had overlooked. The dark look he had afterwards forced her to make a small squeal at the bottom of her throat.

"…I… would be a liar then…" he eventually growled. "Fuck. Fine. Say it."

"I want your word, as Sixth Predator Chase Lance Rolan, that you will no longer interfere in the life of Eighth Predator Hyoudou Issei, the Dragoon, or any others important to him. The only exception, of course, will be myself. If you follow this request, I will be your wife without any argument from here on out."

A single tear fell from her eye.

Tsubaki made a sound. A mixture of a gasp, a squeal, and choking on her own spit. Sona had done her best to keep Rolan's identity from Tsubaki, and it was fortunate enough Rolan had been playing along. Now, it couldn't be avoided. The Queen's mind couldn't cope with the sudden knowledge as fear took complete control over her. It shut down as she passed out.

The ever-ready Lucius, who had served in both the Great War and in the Civil War, had been better prepared to shoulder the knowledge and had caught Tsubaki before she hit the floor. He carried her over to one of the couches by the window.

Rolan was furious. Barely maintained anger was kept at check as his eyes bored into hers. "…Fine. Apart from the duties demanded of us in times of crisis as a Predator, I shall leave Hyoudou, his friends, his lovers, and all other associates he deems significant enough to live their lives on their own. However, if he provokes me in any way, I will return the favor. Is that clear?"

She nodded before looking away. A hand clasped over her mouth as now more tears began to fall. That was it; she was to be wed to the most damnable of creatures. She wasn't going to fall in love, wasn't going to find someone who shared her dreams with— Sona Sitri was going to be sold off like furniture to a monster.

But so be it.

She didn't just save Issei from further anguish; she had potentially saved the members of her peerage and that of Rias', particularly Kiba Yuuto and Genshirou Saji. His plan to create more Predators would be diverted.

Diverted. Not stopped. No, Sona may as well have killed a hundred, a thousand, a _million _lives right now with her own hands. Rolan wouldn't stop. He would find others for him to manipulate. Some unfortunate soul on the other side of the world would fall victim to the machinations much in the same way Issei had his parents ripped out of his life.

Sona knew this. She will reap the day when that new Predator arrives. Whether he awakens silently such as how Issei had or through a cataclysmic catastrophe that shall wipe out an entire country shall be her burden to bear. Will she be the reason a savior was born? Or will she be the reason why a monster was bred?

"…Why is my luck this bad?" Rolan asked rhetorically as his attention was drawn to the open space at the center of the room. A circle was starting to form with an energy signature Sona knew better than anyone.

Two figures appeared at the center with stardust fluttering everywhere before fading out. Serafall Leviathan stepped forward, her face flushed, her brows knitted, and her cheeks puffing with extreme agitation.

"So-tan! I demand to know the meaning of this!" She shook her fists around in the air. "Ise-chan here just said he beat you in chess the other day! There's no way that's true, RIGHT?!"

Sona couldn't respond. Her attention was drawn to the one Serafall had (somehow) managed to bring along. Hyoudou Issei had arrived on his knees with Serafall holding on to him by the collar of his shirt. His hair and clothes were out of place with signs of being shaken violently for a long period of time. Guessing by what Serafall had said in her opening statement, she had learned of the chess game and had been _greatly _displeased with Issei.

But the wrath of her sister was the last thing she needed to worry about. Sona's attention was locked on Issei. To be more specific, it was drawn by his face. She had seen him annoyed before. She had seen him angry. She had even seen him pissed off. And, when Ayame was still around, she had seen him revert into a beast.

Eighth Predator was staring at Sixth Predator with the eyes of one who _could not _tolerate another's existence.

"…Fuck," Rolan cursed as he stood from his seat. "_Why _is my luck this _shitty_?"

"…Obi-tan," Serafall's attention was redirected towards the one she once called 'friend'. "What are you—"

_**THWAK!**_

Sona was thrown off her seat as a concussive blast struck Rolan. The furnishings were shattered as jagged pieces of the marble table cut into her. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist as she was thrown back, redirected her force, and had her pulled away from the explosion. Her sister had moved across the room at a speed Sona had never seen before. And there was a look she bore that made her think twice whether this was her sister or not.

Serafall Leviathan bore the face of a demon who had slaughtered millions. Her crystalline blue eyes stared directly forward with her demonic energy cycling around the room, ready to freeze any threat she could perceive.

"…Alright," Rolan said as he pushed the fist lodged into his face off. The majority of the right side of his face was coated in a layer of ice. But when Issei's hand was removed, the ice didn't diminish. It began to mold like clay, gain a texture frighteningly similar to human skin, and color in a shade that matched Rolan's natural dark hue. "I'll give you that one."

"Ten seconds," Issei snarled through razor fangs. "You have _ten _before I smash your face in. What are you doing here and why is Sona crying? What did you do to her?"

"In that order…" Rolan retorted with a dry tone before answering each question with a raised finger for every one. "Fuck off, ask her, and I did nothing. My turn— fuck you. Don't ask for shit about people when you smacked her just now in your rage."

"Issei, stop!" Sona cried out as she regained her bearings to stand. "Please!"

Issei's eyes shot towards her, wide with surprise and disbelief. "…What? Sona… you know who this is."

"Think before you act," Sona chided with him. "I know how much you want to hit him, to make him suffer as much as you have. But anything you do to him won't make things any better. Hitting him won't bring Ayame back… He's not worth it, Ise."

Issei growled with tongues of crimson flames seeping through his teeth. His draconian aura pulsed about the room, making the air as dense and heavy as a steel blanket. His eyes continued to gaze into hers— he was conflicted between giving in to his desires or to listen to his closest friend. Sona had never been wrong before. Sona always knew what was best for him.

He stepped away from Rolan as he moved to block the way between the Sixth Predator and his dearest friend. His aura dwindled, but his draconian features remained on his physical form.

Rolan's brows furrowed into a new pattern, one Sona hadn't seen before and couldn't decipher his emotions. Especially since he spoke in the same dry tone. "Don't accuse me of things I've no part of. I've no clue who that is."

Issei snapped. He moved forward and brought his fist around at the same sound-breaking speed. The ground shook on the next confrontation.

Rolan had caught his fist. His hand was replaced with a jagged, clawed gauntlet made entirely of ice that went up to his elbow. Rather, it was mixed in with his skin as both ice and flesh melded together at the edge of the armor. Second, veins of glowing red liquid coursed through the sheet of ice that pulsed at a rhythm. They resembled so closely to blood vessels.

Blood dripped down from his hands. And yet, not a drop reached the ground as it simply faded away into nothingness. Not a drop touched Issei either.

"I said I would give you that _one,_" Rolan growled and shoved Issei's hand away. As soon as they were no longer touching, the ice gauntlet precast once more into the shape of a human arm and hand. "If you're going to be doing that while I'm here I'm going to fight back. Neither of us will win and will decimate everything around us. I prefer to not do that but if you piss me off any further I won't hold back."

"That's enough from the both of you," Serafall stepped in with her own malicious aura surrounding her being. She was no mere Greater Demon, nor was she an Archdemon; Serafall was the _Leviathan, _one of the Lords of Sin, the Archetype of Envy. Such was a title she had earned through crushing her enemies bones, coating her skin with their blood, and bringing about a darkness upon the Underworld where none would dare oppose her. There was no salvation for one such as her as her soul had been consumed with undeniable evil; yet, she accepted every part of it. And, once, the name Leviathan was known as something in ancient times.

The original Leviathan, whom she had surpassed, was once heralded as Fourth Predator the Storm King who stood beside both the Heavenly Father and the Earth Mother.

Though times have changed, and though the current generation of Predators had long surpassed their predecessors, it could not be argued Serafall Leviathan was still a force to be reckoned with. No, she could never defeat either of them. But she could cripple them to a bulging mesh of paste before she would fall.

No one moved, and yet at the same time neither of the two made an attempt to defy her.

"Fuck," Rolan gave a heavy sigh as he combed his fingers through his hair. "This should be a joke; I know I've heard it before. Someone so tiny shouldn't be this… intimidating."

"I'm sure you have," Serafall responded without humor. Her piercing contemplation closed on Rolan for the moment. "Now, stop patronizing Hyoudou."

Rolan didn't give her a response.

"And you," her attention turned towards Issei, "don't antagonize Rolan any further."

Issei grimaced. He was weighing options in his head and it showed through his expressions. Eventually he backed off but not without demanding of Rolan, "You. What did you mean when you said you don't know who she is? How could you not when you were the orchestrator?"

"…You're going to have to be a little more specific," Rolan crossed his arms as he adjusted his stance. His legs were spread as to move the second Issei tried anything. "When I said I didn't have a clue, I meant it."

Issei's fists curled up enough for his skin to break. "Nakashima-Hyoudou Ayame. My _sister. _When you sent the Fourth to kill Asia, Ayame took her place instead. Do you know what that fat fuck did to her? He tortured her, carved her skin with permanent scars, and then cursed her with _something _so she would die a very slow and very painful death not even an Evil Piece could save her from. She died BECAUSE OF _YOU_!"

"…I see…" Rolan said slowly as his brows knitted further into a scowl of deep thought. "That… explains much… And here I thought you stopped him before he casted his earthbound blood tribute on Asia. She was never inflicted in the first place."

"Chase," Serafall's gaze returned to the Sixth, "are you admitting to be in collaboration with the death of my sister's late Pawn? To be affiliated with the murderer who assaulted Argento-san? And to be a part of the scheme transpiring within the Gremory territory?"

Rolan returned the gaze with one of his own. This time, he was not intimidated with Serafall in the slightest. What influence she had been able of mustering against him was wearing off as his impatience was overcoming her tactics. "_Sera, _I am not responsible for the actions of the Fourth that your society should be concerned about. I didn't know this girl existed as of a few seconds ago. And I know nothing of the situation besides what Hyoudou has shared. But, by the sounds of it, she became a Reincarnated Devil _after _the Fourth's blood tribute. She was, and this I'm assuming, _human _when the curse was placed on her. You cannot claim any responsibility for her.

"Asia was not under the protection of any faction when I asked the Fourth to kill her. If anything, I am only guilty of indirect attempted murder of the first degree but only under the laws of the human governments. Feel free to contact them and see if they can find evidence of a supernatural being ripping a mystic instrument from her soul. I'm _sure _they'll look into it.

"As for _Gremory, _yes, these things did happen within her territory. But need I remind you of the rules _you _created when dealing with human affairs? Humanity was to be left to their own devices when dealing with human affairs unless a Devil was summoned and given a contract. The Fourth, a human, was going about his way to kill Asia Argento who was, conveniently enough, _human. _Gremory has no business interfering other than to plausibly kill Asia for siding with the Fallen Angels stationed at her borders.

"The way I see it, Hyoudou is at fault for everything. True, Asia is alive from his intervention, but he had gotten a bystander involved when he got in business that wasn't his—"

There was a roar of a thousand voices screaming for murder. Issei had lost it. The illusion that made up his human form was lifted as his draconian nature was exposed to the world. Power filled the room that made the ground crack; made glass, porcelain, and marble shatter; made the entirety of the building shake. While he roared in anguish, his voice was not something to be heard by ears. It transcended the sense of sound and reached into the pits of the souls within the vicinity. A thousand screams of the heroes imprisoned within his Sacred Gear reverberated his heartfelt desires.

To kill.

Sona shouldn't have been able to move with the way his pressure was bearing down at her. Not even Serafall could keep standing as his draconian aura sent her falling to one knee. Rolan, the only one who could withstand such overwhelming force, stood tall with his eyes glaring in defiance but not without a price. Spots of his skin was ripped to shreds as the wave was directed at him; however, those wounds revealed layers of ice and veins of fire as if his body was as much as an illusion as Issei's.

Sona didn't know when it happened.

She was in front of Issei. Her hands were pressing against his chest as he took his first step forward to assault the Sixth Predator. Just that one step alone made her knees buckle as if she had been rammed by a truck. _One step! _But she kept pushing knowing her feeble strength wouldn't stop him from going on a rampage.

As her hands pressed against him, his armor was forming. But it wasn't the sort she was familiar with. No, it was the grotesque crimson scales he had revealed to the world during the Rating Game. She had only seen a glimpse of it before the cameras shut down. But the image of it was scarred into her brain. Now, up close and fully exposed to its magnificence, it made her realize she was but an ant trying to stop a _god's _wrath.

She would try anyways.

"Issei, look at me!" she pleaded. The transformation was almost complete as a second set of arms and a pair of metallic wings sprouted from his back. "Look at me, Issei! LOOK AT ME!"

He didn't take that second step. His body stopped moving as if something was holding him back. He shook violently in opposition against this invisible force. The helm, merged in with his head as metal and flesh mixed, opened its jaw with a screech of absolute hatred which rattled her mind. She wanted to back away. She wanted to run. She wanted to cower, to cry, and to wish this nightmare would be gone by the time she dared to step out of what corner she would hide in.

Instead, her hands went to his face. Each hand cupped around his cheeks. She could not make his head turn towards her. All she could do was _pray _that her will would reach him. Her eyes stayed locked on the lenses of his visor.

"Please," she said softly as a last hope. Tears fell down as she was watching him suffer. He was hurting, he was lost; he had no way of healing as the wound continued to reopen. And to see him go into a blind rage like this was like watching someone she dearly loved die.

She knew he was looking at her. Not the instinctive primitive being that was using Issei's vessel for its own, not that beast that was Eighth Predator. _He _was looking at her as he was being swept away by the madness of his own vengeance. She could see it; that glint of light within the fires of hatred.

With visible resistance, two of Issei's hands moved towards hers and cupped over them. He held them tight enough for her to feel pain from his amplified prowess, but there was a gentleness to his grip as he was withholding himself from crushing them.

He fell to his knees with his head bowed.

Slowly, his armor began to retract. They dissolved into motes of red light. The overbearing miasma of carnage was lifted until the air became light for all to move about freely.

Issei continued to hold on to her hands. He was gritting his teeth hard enough to draw blood. She could see the heavy streaks of tears fall down his face and drip down to the floor.

She drew closer, wrapping her arms around his head and held him tight. His cries increased as his hands moved to her clothes and gripped fiercely. He continued to shake in a conflict between rage and control.

She cried with him as she stroked his hair.

"…Leave," she hissed out.

Rolan didn't move. She didn't need to face him to know he _did not care _about Issei's outburst and would continue to antagonize him until the very end.

"We had a deal so GET THE _FUCK_ OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Sona turned and glared daggers at the Sixth Ultimate Killer. No, he was just Chase Rolan at this point. He was _nothing _to her.

Rolan narrowed his eyes slightly as he normally would to anything that would annoy him. Perhaps he was sending his murderous intentions her way, but she didn't care in the slightest. Her disgust against him was so grand it did not matter if he was a Predator or even that so-called threat they would all face.

His brows knitted into a new expression. "In one week I will send the final details."

He snapped a finger and pointed to the side of the room. A portal leading to empty space opened. He said nothing further and did not look at anyone else as he stepped through. With him stepping through, the portal closed, leaving them alone.

Tsubaki had awoken solemnly by Issei's rage. But she had woken from one nightmare into another as she was fully exposed to his murderous intent. Her complexion was ghastly pale as she was drenched in sweat. She could not stop staring at him with large eyes of horror.

Serafall… remained on her knees. There was a distant look in her eyes as she openly stared at where Rolan had exited. Her face was melancholy… She had called him a friend at one point. She had spent private time with him when they were not working and had gotten to know another at a personal level. And now, she was seeing his true colors. She was hurting from this betrayal.

Sona continued to stroke Issei's head as they cried together. Oh how she desired just as much as he did to perform unspeakable evils against the Sixth Predator. She had been so very tempted to just let Issei rampage through the Underworld if it meant a chance of killing Rolan. She would not deny even the idea of millions dying in the crossfire would have been worth it.

She would not deny she would accept becoming a monster herself if it meant being able to kill Rolan.

But she didn't. She could have stayed still, but she chose to move instead. Because Issei was _not _a monster. He was nothing like his seven peers. Even if Sona would have accepted the carnage, Issei never would. If he had killed Rolan, he still would have grieved over the price. He would never be able to forgive himself. He would never be able to climb out of such a hole.

They stayed together like this for a while…

*Scene*

It wasn't until the darkest hour did Issei manage to get home. Getting into the Underworld had been a fluke on Serafall's part simply because she was so outraged with him beating Sona at a chess match. He shouldn't have been able to use the Sitri family sigil; he wasn't even capable of using the Gremory's. Replicating her accidental teleportation magic was impossible, especially in her distraught state of mind. When things had calmed down, Serafall had escorted him to the nearest station where the train would take him back to the human realm.

Sona had chosen to accompany him. She didn't say a word the entire time nor could she answer to anyone. Throughout the journey she stared into open space, far too consumed in her own thoughts to react with the outside world. And it wasn't like Issei was talking either; he kept silent too else his rage would consume him once more. For an hour they sat together on the train aside another, shoulders touching and hands held tight solemnly for comfort. At this moment, they needed another more than anything.

Tsubaki, of course, could never abandon her King. But it was painfully obvious how much she couldn't stand to be anywhere near Issei. Only her sworn duty towards her King kept her from leaving Sona alone. Not because she was afraid anything terrible would happen to her, but simply because Sona was more than just her King and master; Sona was her friend who needed support at this hour.

When they left the station in the human world, Sona pointed him in the direction back to the surface. They didn't say another word as they went their separate ways. Sona and Tsubaki returned to their dorms near the academy using a magic circle while Issei found an alley to activate his Gift of Flight. He would have walked the whole way home hadn't the train been stationed somewhere in Berlin.

He didn't know when he got home. Inwardly, his Predator's ever existing sense of awareness told him both Asia and Rias were in his room. Not a question came to his mind as to why they were there; neither of the two were awake at this hour anyways. Without a thought to clean himself or change his clothes, he sat down in the loveseat in his living room and just stared out the window. Rather, he was staring into blank space as the blinds were shut.

With a deep breath he closed his eyes and began to rebuild the walls Rolan had torn down. Ever since becoming a Predator he had been consumed with a feeling of constant rage. The feeling of _wanting _to rip someone's throat out all in the name of vengeance never went away. It was always there when he was having dinner, when he was having fun with friends, when he was sleeping, when he was laughing and crying from his own misfortune, when he was celebrating to himself at the prospect of getting a harem, to even that moonlit night where he kissed Asia— _everything _he did had that taste of **hate **in the back of his mind.

It was the curse of becoming a Predator. They were the defenders of the planet and as such they were demanded by the World to kill anything at a moment's notice. It wasn't a switch he could hit. It was _always _on.

But he could hide it. No, he couldn't— he _needed _to. He had seen the way Tsubaki had looked at him. It hurt. It hurt so much he wanted to kill her for looking at him that way. How _dare _she look at him as if he were a beast needed to be put down. But… she had every right to be afraid of him. He was a Predator, the bane of all things existing on the planet. He _was _a monster by all means.

"Ise?"

His eyes opened. There was light in the room from the rising sun. He had been in a trance for a great deal of time, so absorbed in his mental fortifications that he did not notice the passage of time.

There was another aspect of him that made him more sensitive to the emotions of people around him. He didn't know if it was true for all dragons, but ever since he had begun to morph into a draconian being he had been gradually growing more aware of the intentions of people. And ever since becoming a Predator this sixth sense had been amplified tremendously by his constant awareness 'perk'.

Right now made no difference as he realized he had made a mistake. Asia had come down the stairs, he heard her heart flutter as soon as she saw him. She smiled so beautifully as her emotions danced around in nothing but bliss. When she approached… when he turned to face her… that smile dropped right away.

…Because he was still in the process of blocking his hate. Asia had been exposed to the thing he never wanted her to see.

But Asia was ever the sweetheart. She never had a negative emotion towards him. She was not afraid of him despite the murderous intentions leaking within the room. Instead of running away, she drew in closer.

"Ise, what's wrong?" she asked with nothing but concern in her voice.

He couldn't look at her. Not until he could quiet his anger and put it back in the container at the back of his mind. But he couldn't ignore her either; Asia would only grow more concerned and he didn't want to do anything to make her worry. Then came another thought: how much of the situation should he share with her? Was it his to share to begin with? This was something that happened to Sona with him only getting involved in the end. This was something between the two of them.

"I… I'm sorry Asia. I really don't want to talk about it," he ended up saying at the end. "Can you do me a favor? Can you just sit with me for a bit?"

She said nothing further. Asia gave a small nod and climbed into the seat with him. She blushed at the closeness of the two, especially when she had to rest against his chest just to fit. The blush increased when Issei wrapped his arms around her waist. However… the feeling wasn't right to her. Not because she didn't enjoy it— being in the arms of the one she loved was a fantasy come true— but because there was a bittersweet atmosphere coming from Issei.

He was craving comfort and companionship. Asia had known these feelings her entire life. After all, she was just as lonely of a soul as he was.

She placed her hands over his and leaned her head against his shoulder. Peering up, she saw Issei had closed his eyes. His breathing didn't say he was asleep and his furrowed brows said he was concentrating on something. Asia wished to know what it was that had troubled him so deeply, but she had faith in him and would know he would tell her in due time. For now, all she could do was be there for him. She was more than happy to play the part as a cuddle-buddy. Lord knows how many times she wished to have someone like that growing up in the orphanage.

She winced. The sharp pain of even _thinking _about the Lord's name reminded her she was no longer welcomed to practice her faith. It wasn't fair…

"Thank you, Asia," he said in a low voice. Though there was hurt in his tone, he smiled at her that spoke of how much he loved her. He was more than appreciative for this small gesture.

He moved to release her, but she grabbed his hands and held them tight. This time, it was her turn to be a little selfish. She brought his arms around her once again as she pressed herself closer to his body.

She didn't have the courage to look at him. Her head was bowed with her face heating up by her own actions. "I-Ise… can… can we stay like this a little longer?"

He began to shake with a noise coming out of his mouth. This was the Issei she had fallen in love with. Perhaps he was still hurt, but he had calmed down enough for him to become flustered by her. He tried to say something but it only got caught stuck in his throat. His cheeks reddened.

Eventually he gave in and held her close. The tenderness he put into it was as different as night and day. Before, he simply didn't want to feel alone. And now, he didn't want _her _to feel alone. It was amazing what a small difference could make.

As time passed, Asia eventually had to look at the clock. Their time together was limited with the events planned for the day.

She was bashful at first and fiddled with the surface of his skin to delay time. She didn't know why she was stalling. Quickly, before she would dare to change her mind, she turned her head and pecked a small kiss on his cheek.

The gesture got him to let go of her with his hand shooting up to his cheek in surprise. It also freed her so she could stand up and pull him with her. With a bright smile, and with a healthy shade of red in her cheeks, Asia spoke to Issei with as much love as she had for him. "Ise, we should get ready for the day. Today is our… o-o-our d-date. And the others will be here soon. They wanted to give you a breakfast for your promotion. But… if you're not feeling well…"

Issei blinked. And then he slapped his palm to his brow. How in the _world _could he have forgotten about the date he planned with Asia? Originally, it was planned for Sunday but seeing as how school was canceled today (something about hiring new teachers and sending them off for orientation… which was weird considering how late in the year they were) it was the perfect day to spend together.

By all means Issei had the whole day planned. He made reservations and everything!

"Of course I want to go!" he argued with enthusiasm. "I'll never turn down a date with Asia! Well then, I'm going to wash up first. I was going to make us breakfast before we hit the city but seeing as how everyone else is coming over… Alright. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He was happy. Truly he was. But that did not mean he was still troubled by what Rolan had done. Issei had been able to pay attention enough to hear what was going on. The Sixth Predator was now engaged to Sona. Issei needed to do something to stop it. But that would have to wait until he could speak with Sona again at school. Right now, he needed to be there for Asia. She had been looking forward to today just as much as he had… and that says something. Isse's been waiting for a girl to ask him out for _years!_

Raynare doesn't count. She was a psychopath who never had any intentions of being in a relationship with him anyways.

In a matter of minutes he was in the bathroom scrubbing himself clean.

Halfway through washing his hair his fingers stopped. He sensed the members of the Occult Research Club arrive and could track their movements downstairs. Akeno, Koneko, and Asia were all in the kitchen while that damn pretty boy Yuuto was moving around the dining table. Issei guessed he was setting the silverware and all that. As for Rias, she had greeted her peerage and was climbing up the stairs… towards the bathroom.

He had stopped scrubbing because as soon as they arrived his Predator alarm was going off. If he could focus on the exact details, he would have to say his instincts were telling him to _not _go downstairs and see what they were up to else suffer… well, death. It didn't make sense since he couldn't detect any bad intentions coming from his fellow Pieces.

He didn't know what to make of it and decided he might as well face the music. He continued to wash his hair in the meantime as a means to stall time. A plan needed to be made before he stepped downstairs to meet his fate.

The door to the changing room slid open as he felt the presence of his master enter. Through his sixth sense he was able to tell what she was doing… which would be undressing.

"Good morning, Ise," Rias entered without shame. She didn't wrap a towel around her. Nope! She strolled in full of glory and pride without a single trace of hesitation. Her eyes shone with determination and a goal in mind. And nothing was going to stop her.

"B-Bu-B-B-Bu-Buch-Bu-B-B—" By the great elder gods of debauchery, he couldn't utter a single word as his eyes honed in on her superlative mounds of breasts. He had seen her naked a good number of times. He had done _the _ultimate deed with her as well. Yet, no matter how many times he's seen her like this, she never loses her radiance.

Rias gave him a wondrous smile of both victory and amusement. She knelt down next to him with her hands in front of her, leaning over, and pressing her assets together with her arms. "I thought I would give you a hand and wash your back for you~"

He was rendered a gaping fish. Yet another check off his list of fantasies once he obtained a harem. It was also referred by the general populace of Kuoh as the 'never going to happen' list. Regardless, _it was happening._

"I'll take that as a yes," Rias cackled to herself and moved into position. Now, she could have reached for the soap from where she was previously sitting. And she had seen it as soon as she walked in. But then, she wouldn't get the best reaction from her adorable Pawn if she didn't do _this:_

She leaned against him and reached for the bar of soap over his shoulder. Doing so pressed her breasts to his back. She could almost feel the electricity course through his body as his muscles coiled from the sensation. Normally, she would only tease him with small promises, some words, and the occasional letting him peep on her showering. But after taking some advice from Akeno (which most of the time is a mistake in of itself), she was thinking about making this one of her guilty pleasures. She now understood why the Queen always did this to him.

His reactions were always over the top.

Take now for instance. Simply pushing herself on top of him nearly caused him to pass out. His hands were gripping the handles of the faucet enough to bend the metal. He was panting. His nose was bleeding. But his eyes were glazed and he had a euphoric grin.

This was all part of Rias' plan to win back Issei over. These attempts might seem shallow as they only fed his carnal desires, but they were used to gain his attention. Perhaps he might be thinking this was just something a master would do for her servant. In time, he will grow to care for her deeper and see her as a person rather than his master. In time, he will no longer see her as his King and instead see her as Rias Gremory…

…As one of the girls who foolishly fell in love with him.

Her hands traced the muscles of his back; her fingers moved along the lines that made up his dragon tattoos. She always marveled at them. They were the most intricate series of mystic shapes with not a single line pointless. Every curve had its use in the outlandish formula that defied the Laws of the World, at least that was how Issei described it to her. But they were more than just magic sigils conveniently crafted in the shape of a wing. They were simply beautiful. They were _alive. _They breathed when Issei did, they fluttered with his heartbeat— they were as much a part of his body as any limb or organ.

But… she recalled him only having a set of two wings. On the occasions she got the chance to see his back, such as the instance he first became a Devil and the first time they… performed the deed, she only saw the pair of wings that took up the upper level of his back and shoulders. She couldn't recall if this new pair had been there when they did it again a second time. As her fingers scrubbed, they moved down to the small of the back. And below that, right above the hip, were a pair of slender wings equally as beautiful, radiant, and lively as his Gift of Flight. Perhaps… this was some sort of extension? Such as how his Evil Pieces mutated in time?

"…Buchou? Is something wrong?"

She realized she had stopped just to stare at their articulate grandeur. No magician on the planet could ever draw such an intricate craft. Whosoever made these tattoos had to be someone above and beyond comprehension.

"Just… your wings," she answered. She did not lie. She refused to lie. She had promised to be forever truthful to her Pawn and to never betray his trust. This was the best she could offer to him for everything she's done.

No, there was something else.

"Ise, there's something I want to talk to you about," her heart began to beat faster at what she was trying. She needed to speak her mind. This had been plaguing her for a long time and now was the perfect chance. They were alone. She had gone through this conversation a thousand times in her head.

"Yes, Buchou?" he turned around and stared at her eye for eye. He did not look at her nude figure and instead stared directly into _her. _

But… though he had been looking at her, he wasn't seeing her for what she was. He still called her Buchou. He still called her _Master. _He did not see her as Rias Gremory.

She knew this long in advance. And yet, it hurt nonetheless. She lost her fortitude.

"Never mind, it's nothing," she eventually said and went back to scrubbing his back.

Issei continued to look at her. His hazel eyes never looked away from her even when she hid her eyes through her bangs. They softened by the time he turned back around.

"…That's twice now, Buchou," he said aloud.

Her hands stopped.

There was an eerie silence between the two for some time.

Issei broke it when he continued his thoughts. "I… I honestly don't know what's wrong. I don't pretend to know anything about what others are thinking. But, Buchou, I can tell you're hurting for some reason. And I can tell that reason has to do with me. But I don't know why. So… please tell me what's wrong. You're my master. And it's my duty as your Pawn to—"

_You're my master._

No words have ever hurt her any more than those.

She was out of the room before he could say anything else. The tears shedding down were not out of anger for him. No, he had fulfilled his promise to the brim and had obeyed her every order without question. He had no reason to follow her. She couldn't give him anything and yet he continued to stay by her side.

She was angry at herself for doing this to him. Any hope of a relationship outside the master-servant kind was out of the question. Issei, no matter what she would do at this point, would forever see her as his master. _She _had ruined everything.

No. She refused to believe that. This was only a setback. Rias Gremory doesn't give up on anything. She needed to try something different and try _harder. _

Rias took a deep breath and wiped away the tears. She made a promise right here and now to never cry again until Issei could see her as _Rias Gremory. _With newly found resolve, she walked down the hallway to join her peerage down in the kitchens. She knew she was still naked. But her charisma as a King made her into something to behold and praise. Picking up the spatula (and ignoring the snickers Akeno was giving her), Rias began to cook for the _idiot _she had fallen in love with.

Flipping flapjacks like a boss.

*Scene*

His skin was tingling. As soon as Issei was dressed his instincts flared in warning of the oncoming demise he would face as soon as he stepped downstairs. Whatever he did towards Rias only enhanced those survival instincts. But it confused him; she wasn't planning to murder him as far as he could tell. None of them were. By all means it felt like they were unintentionally going to set off a chain reaction that would be the end of him.

But there was a chance of survival, his instincts were telling him that at least. A very low chance but not as unreasonable as the percentile he had faced as the Red Blur. Or, better, when he pissed off the Divine Beast _and _the Dragon Slayer when he first met them at the Vatican.

Hell, if he could survive against the two Predators that were his natural enemies then he could stomach whatever the Occult Research Club had to throw at him.

"Hey guys, good morn— _blurghafurgin_!"

Heads turned as soon as he entered the dining area. Asia, dear sweet Asia, was dressed in the frilly apron she had worn almost two weeks ago to cheer him up. Akeno was dressed in a white and red apron that had similarities to a Shinto shrine priestess robe. Koneko wore a pink apron and didn't bother to hide her Nekomata characteristics such as her ears and tail. And Rias, ever as glorious as always, was wearing a bland white apron that hugged her curves in the greatest of ways.

All of them were naked underneath.

Blood gushed out of Issei's nose and mouth at an alarming rate. His mind had suffered serious damage. Something within his cranium snapped. Perhaps a blood vessel. Perhaps a nerve. Perhaps his brain just exploded. Regardless, it couldn't process the amount of data he was perceiving. It couldn't keep up, fried itself attempting to do so, and ended up wounding itself. He ended up biting his tongue as his mind couldn't properly control his motor functions.

The end result was, indeed, his demise. In a matter of seconds he would be bleeding to death. It had been both a boon due to his draconian features as well as a miracle he had not dropped dead immediately. One simply does not live after having their brain implode.

"Oh my," cackled Akeno. "I think he liked our little surprise."

They did not realize he was _dying. _They simply thought this was just another one of his reactions by being a pervert. They didn't understand all of his previous nosebleeds had been a physical reaction of mental strain. As a dragon, his being was far more sensitive to the world.

His salvation arrived… in a naked apron outfit as well.

"See Buchou," Yuuto gave a light laugh as he finished setting the table. He wore a white and navy apron. _Only _a white and navy apron. "I told you he would—"

"WHAT THE _FUCK _ARE YOU WEARING YOU DAMN HANDSOME?!"

Not even the Laws of the World could keep Issei from lashing out. For the Laws demanded he was to die due to blood loss, Issei defied their mediocre rules because he could not allow the existence that was Kiba Yuuto within his domain. By sheer willpower he had overcome a natural phenomenon, a calculated sequence the World had enforced by beings beyond human comprehension. He simply could not die just yet and so forced himself to change to overcome this moment of weakness.

Issei had achieved one of the four Defiant Works, that of Evolution; to indirectly defy the indirect world. His Quantum Identity Cortex, the small nexus commonly referred to as the soul in which dictates what gives all existences identities, had been rewritten so he could retaliate at this abomination.

In short, Issei was back to normal as if he wasn't about to die.

Unfortunately, unless the same _exact _conditions were met, Issei could not achieve Evolution a second time.

But in the end, the greatest enemy of Hyoudou Issei had just saved his life. No one knew about this. Then again, no one realized his life had been in peril to begin with.

Yuuto smiled and waved it off, "Now don't be like that Ise-kun. It took a lot of courage putting this on."

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THOSE WORDS COMING FROM YOU!" Issei continued to shout. "My reputation is already in the toilet enough! Do you have any idea what would happen if anyone knew you had the naked apron on while at MY house?!"

Yuuto gave a light laugh and raised the hem of his apron. "Relax, Ise-kun. I'm wearing something underneath. See?"

True to his words, he was wearing a banana hammock beneath the apron.

Issei's brow couldn't help but twitch at the _playful _tone the blonde Knight was speaking in. _As if _the pretty boy had some sort of _thing _for him and was teasing him in the same way Akeno would.

"THAT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING!" Issei shouted once more. He was so upset he was panting. But at the same time he couldn't find anything else to say. No words could express his displeasure while at the same time he didn't have the need to smack Yuuto around. Nor could he throw him out of his house without the neighbors seeing. He thought about going down to the basement to use the underground tunnels Archibald had built for his use as the Red Blur, flying Yuuto off to, say, the middle of some desert wasteland, and then just dumping him there.

Tempting. So very tempting. The only reason why he didn't do it was because he didn't want to touch the damn handsome.

"…Not that I'm complaining or anything," Issei scratched his brow and decided to pretend to never have seen Yuuto. "But, uh, why is everyone here dressed like that?"

Akeno giggled and stepped forward, "Well, Ise-kun, we remember what you said about us to Leviathan-sama. We thought we might return the favor."

Issei blinked as he tried to recall what he could have said to Serafall to have gotten the Occult Research Club to do this. Alas, his memory was a little fuzzy. The only points he could remember with Serafall was gaining a closer chance at obtaining a harem towards her disposition against Rolan. He couldn't remember anything other than that.

Someone was tugging against the hem of his shirt. He looked down to see the large amber eyes of Koneko peering up at him.

"Good morning, Ise-sempai," was all she needed to say.

It came back to him in a flash. He recalled what he said about them. He had called them a part of his family. He said he would protect them no matter what because he couldn't afford to lose any of them. He loved them dearly.

He had also said he wanted to come down the stairs and be greeted with a good morning, not the empty silence he had been forced to bear for the past three years.

"You guys… are the best…" he choked out as the tears began to gather. Honestly, he had been crying far too much these past few days. But he welcomed it. These were tears of a heart being mended after years of neglect.

Koneko brushed her head against him and gave him a warm hug. It made him cry a little harder.

Akeno giggled and threw her arms around his shoulders in her own hug. She whispered softly into his ear, "Good morning, Ise-kun."

Asia puffed her cheeks and hurried to the available space at his side. She clasped her hands around his arms and held him tight. "G-Good morning, Ise."

Rias moved around and took her place at his back. She pressed her head against his shoulders and leaned against his firm build. With a light smile she spoke in a soothing tone, "Good morning, Ise."

There wasn't much room left to embrace Issei. However, Yuuto found a small area between Koneko and Akeno. Not enough to give a hug, but enough to give the Pawn a light brotherly jab. He did so and greeted in his usual charming smile, "Good morning, Ise—"

"GO PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!"

*Scene*

"Ise, are you feeling better?" asked Asia after a few hours into their date.

The time they had spent was wondrous. They had fun no matter where they went and the day was still young. It didn't matter as Issei still had plenty of things planned long in advance. They were on their way to a small café for lunch before they would take a bus to hit the local amusement park. And after that Issei would treat her to dinner at a restaurant he had to ask Sona in reserving a place on short notice. The Sitri King had asked him why not ask Rias for it, but he couldn't find a suitable answer to ask it of his own King nor to _not _ask her. Regardless, Sona complied with the favor and (for some reason) scolded him for ignoring Rias' feelings.

Issei had no idea what that had been about.

The Pawn and Bishop walked together hand in hand. For the first stages of the date they had been shy towards another and would have quickly scurried away from another should they should even bump shoulders. But as the day drew out, they began to grow more comfortable with their feelings. Issei craved to hold her and Asia had the same yearning. By now, their wall of timidity had come down and they couldn't separate from another for long periods. Everything they did from this point was done _together._

…It should also be mentioned they were being followed by the other members of the Occult Research Club. The Gremory peerage was all dressed in disguises, playing the part of strangers going about on their own businesses. They even changed attire whenever Issei and Asia went to a new location. Their tactics would have worked if Issei didn't have this little thing called _constant presence awareness._

He didn't understand why they were spying on the two. Even that damn handsome was doing as much as he could to remain hidden. He was using the training from the camp to hide his presence as much as possible. Even Issei would have had difficulty spotting him in the sea of people if he didn't have his Predator's perk.

Whatever. So long as they didn't interfere in their date he didn't really care.

"Yeah, I feel much better now," he said with a smile as he squeezed her hand. "I'll tell you about it later. But right now let's just worry about our time together, 'kay?"

Asia looked up at him with her innocent doe-like eyes. "Promise?"

His smile grew as he gave an assured nod.

In response, Asia's smile grew as she looked away bashfully. A hue of red spotted her cheeks as her freehand moved to cover one of them. He could feel her nervousness. That, and her sweaty palms was another indication. But, he was feeling the exact same way. Even as he was living in the moment he was having a sense of disbelief. His head couldn't wrap around the idea that this was _really _happening. He was spending the day with someone he loved, who loved him back, and there was nothing wrong with it.

Usually at this part something bad happens. Take Raynare for instance. At the peak of their date she decided to kill him. Or all those times he's gotten fake letters. Some angry mob would be around the corner to assault him.

"That is not what Saint Peter looks like."

"And how would you know?"

"Xenovia is correct. Saint Peter was a rabbit."

Both Issei and Asia froze in place. They had recognized that last voice.

A set of three heads turned to face another. Issei and Asia turned towards a group of four people huddled together. Two of them were girls dressed in long white and gold cloaks that went down to their ankles, one was a large man dressed in a priestly suit, and the last was a young woman in slender black robes with a shoulder cape and a white hood.

It was the last person who turned around to face the two Devils once their attention had been gained. She had blonde hair that rested above her shoulders, emerald green eyes, fair and freckled skin, and an immaculate beauty, expression, and aura of serenity. Everything was absolutely peaceful as if no great evil or calamity could rattle her.

…And no great good could ever stir her just the same.

"Well, a good afternoon to you both, Asia, Hyoudou," she greeted with a small nod of acknowledgement.

*Scene*

"Uh… Buchou… I think right now would be a good time to step in," Yuuto said from his place across the street through the receiver in his ear. He was suppressing his Devil's aura down to the microscopic level. No one would notice him unless he directly touched them. He was virtually invisible. Nothing save Issei's ability to locate things would be able to spot him.

He watched as the members of the Church and the two Devils went inside the café and seated with another in a booth. Naturally, they sat in opposition of another even if it meant to be uncomfortably huddled together. However, that blonde woman chose to pull a spare chair from another table and place it in the middle of their table, to which she sat upon and acted as the wall that separated the two forces.

Yuuto didn't like this. The man of the group was packing some serious heat with whatever he contained within his clothes. But it was the two girls accompanying them that was a far bigger threat. Whatever that blue-haired girl was carrying on her back was obviously a holy weapon. And the girl with the twin-tails had something hidden that contained just as much holy essence.

His eyes narrowed in disgust. He knew this feeling better than anyone. They were carrying holy swords. And not just any.

Excaliburs. His body was more than familiar with their presence from the experiments conducted on him.

He stood. The façade he had put up all these years crumbled. His presence narrowed further as he made his self as sharp as could be. His Devil aura became a blade itself as he readied to summon his Holy Erasure. Those _things _were his true enemies; things that needed to be destroyed.

Suddenly, he broke out into a cold sweat. The woman was staring at him through the window. Her vibrant green eyes showed no malevolence… but there was nothing good natured about them at the same time. He couldn't say they were hollow or neutral. They were just so… peaceful. No evil resided within her; and no good moved her. They were eyes that spoke of a peace so tranquil it was… _wrong._

She blinked once and then turned back to Issei to continue their conversation.

Yuuto gulped, sat back down, leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees, and wiped the sweat off his face with his hand. His nerves were rattled as he found himself shaking. Whatever that woman was— and he knew from that abysmal look she was anything but human— she was something not to be approached without carelessness.

After all, she had _seen _him. As far as he knew, only Issei was capable of pulling off something like that.

Then, it donned on him. Both Asia and Issei knew this woman. This woman was capable of doing something only Issei could accomplish through his _Predator's _perk.

Surely this woman couldn't be…

*Scene*

Rias began to move towards the café. She had a responsibility as a King to watch over her Pieces as well as the overseer of the city to view the traffic of travelers entering and leaving her territory. Members of the Church sneaking in without them notifying her or without her noticing sent warning signals through her head. She couldn't tolerate anything like this. Not only was it disrespectful, but it warranted the question as to why the Church would attempt to slither their way inside her domain unseen.

"I wouldn't do that, Rias-chan."

A hand pulled her back into her hiding spot around the corner of a building. Serafall Leviathan was dressed in _actual _formal attire consisting of a dark green suit with a matching skirt. Beside her was a middle-aged man Rias had never seen before. He was dressed in a brown plaid vest, a white long sleeve, and a plaid bowtie. He was leaning against the wall of the building with the wooden cane supporting the majority of his right side.

"Please pardon us for intruding," the man said with a grandfatherly smile with a mixture of mischief. "But it would be in your best interest to watch and listen before charging in."

She stared at this man for a minute. Who was he to tell her what to do? She knew about the situation enough to decide rationally. Plus, she was both a King and the overseer of the city; the situation demanded her to act on the spot.

"Leviathan-sama," she began slowly and with the required amount of respect towards one of her four kings, "may I ask why I shouldn't act upon my duties as overseer? And who is this man?"

Serafall clapped her hands together and bounced on her heels. "Oh! Ziggy-chan, come here," she gestured for the man to come closer. "This is Rias Gremory."

The man approached until he stood beside Serafall. With a polite smile but through suspicious eyes, Rias offered him her hand. He took it, bowed in respect, and brought his lips to her knuckles.

"It is an honor to meet you, Fair Gremory," he greeted and stood back up, noticeably a little slower than when he bowed. He put a hand over his heart and introduced himself. "I am Ludwig von Siegfried. I am quite sure we can skip most formalities, shall we?"

She couldn't stop her lips from twitching. This was the Dragon Slayer, the man who invaded her territory and made several contracts with her Pieces without her knowledge. This was a Predator, one of the seven who orchestrated the horrific tragedy that shattered Issei's heart.

Honestly, she would have never suspected this man to be one of the eight greatest killers on the planet. He looked so… normal. He looked to be some college professor or a wealthy CEO of a moderate company. He looked nothing like a being capable of slaughtering all life in an instant.

But then again… Issei was supposed to be a normal high school student. He had his own life with friends and company. Who was to say the Dragon Slayer didn't have those things as well?

Serafall either didn't seem to mind she was in his company or she simply didn't know _what _he was. She began to talk in a lecturing tone plus a pose with a hand on her hip and finger pointed upwards. "Normally, yes, you should be permitted to go in there and throw out those Church snakes. But you have to remember, Dragoon-chan has been promoted to Demon Lord. Since he got to them first this is now within his jurisdiction. Plus, I'm here to examine how he deals with the situation and evaluate whether he is capable or not. Until I see enough, I won't permit any interruptions."

Rias was only able to listen to half of that. She got the gist of what Serafall was saying but her attention was locked on the Dragon Slayer. She was the exact opposite of _comfortable _when in the presence of this man. "And _he _is here because…?"

Ludwig gave a small and apologetic smile not too far off from the kind Kiba would give whenever he upset Issei. "I understand you have… aggressions against me—"

"That's putting it lightly," Rias snapped back without reservation.

"…Be that as it may, I am not here to antagonize Master Hyoudou any more than we already have. I meant it when I said I am here to patch up relations between the two of us. Now, as for why I am _here, _Lady Serafall and I were just on our way over yonder…"

He pointed at the café with the tip of his cane.

"But seeing as how two of my peers are together I believe it would be wise to relocate before they realize I am here," he concluded with a shrug. He then turned his head towards Serafall, "Such a shame. I liked the oolong they serve. But I have a parlor in mind that serves exquisite cake. Shall we?"

"Wait," a rock fell into Rias' stomach. "What did you just say?"

"Meh, it's alright Ziggy-chan," Serafall waved off his proposal. "We can catch up next time. Right now I got to get back to boring old work now that Dragoon-chan is with Church lackeys."

Ludwig nodded and turned back to Rias to answer her question. "I believe you are referring to the comment regarding my peers? Yes, well, seated across of Master Hyoudou… from left to right by our viewpoint is… Oh him, _jolly. _We have Saint Virtue of Germany, a Paladin Lord and Living Saint; I believe the two Exorcist girls are… Xenovia and Irina… I am afraid I can't recall their surnames but they are in the current generation of Excalibur users. And the last at the end of the table is a Paladin, an Exorcist, and a Living Saint, Saint Serene of Finland.

"_That one _is my peer. You might know her as Third Predator, the Divine Beast."

*Scene*

"Um… who ordered the Salisbury steaks?" asked the waitress.

"Me!" chorused three voices: Xenovia, Irina, and Issei.

The waitress gave another sweat-drop before placing the meals in front of the respective persons and then walked away. The amount of food the three of them had consumed was in ridiculous sums. So much in fact Issei had to hand over one of his debit cards to keep a tab running by the manager.

Originally, Issei had planned on only eating a small amount (still considered a large meal to the average person) to keep his stomach from rumbling for the most of the day followed by a few snacks at the amusement park and then another large meal for dinner. He had spent, what, thirty seconds in Juggernaut Drive against Rolan? Well, those thirty seconds still consumed a lot of stamina from his body. Nowhere near as much as the _three hours _he had in its imperfect stage but still long enough to render him hungry.

Now, having to treat the members of the Church to a meal and with two of them taking absolute advantage and ordering as much as they possibly could, Issei said the hell with it and did the same. Asia only ordered a small sandwich, Serene only ordered a coffee and a slice of cake, and the old grump Virtue sat with his arms crossed and a mean scowl of disgust etched onto his face. He had argued the most about being under the debt of a Devil.

He had actually described Issei and Asia with more… colorful words. Words better left unsaid.

Apparently, and this was the story they gave him, the group had been rendered penniless when one of them (Irina) had purchased a painting after being told it was the portrait of Saint Peter. Instead of asking for more money from the Church, and instead of pulling finances from his own pocket, Virtue had demanded she repent on her 'mistake' and beg for donations. Irina did so, calling out for donations under the name of God with Xenovia assisting her and then later Serene. Virtue remained in the back watching.

Of course no one was donating. They ended up with a few 100 yen coins but nothing more. An argument broke out between the two Exorcists regarding why Irina purchased the painting, they argued its authenticity, they argued whether the man in the portrait was Saint Peter, and then that's when Issei and Asia showed up.

No one mentioned Serene's comment about Peter being a rabbit.

"So," Issei said while cutting into his steak between bites. "Run it by me again. _Why _are you here in my territory?"

"Your ignorance is intentional as we've never elaborated our most sacred mission to the likes of a heathen," spat Virtue. He _really _hated the two Devils and only chose to remain in their company because Serene had led the girls into the café without his consent.

The more the man talked the more Issei wanted to punch his face in.

Serene placed her mug down and answered in the placid tone that kept his anger from rising. Her voice itself was soothing. "I thank you first for the hospitality, Issei. As things were going, I believe we would have starved had you not been so generous."

"Yes, yes!" Irina sputtered between bites as she cheered. "Thank you very much for the food, Ise-kun. Oh great Lord, please bless this man for his kindness!"

Issei's eye twitched as a sharp pang struck him from her prayer.

Virtue glared daggers at her, "Is this the lesson you wish to teach the younger generation, Serene? To give into temptation when an enemy of Heaven lures us in with gluttony? You should be ashamed."

Serene did not show any insult to his words. She countered in a calm manner as though addressing the weather in a passive conversation, "**The soul may be willing, but the flesh is weak, **Virtue."

Asia dropped her sandwich as her hand went to her temple from a spike of pain. Issei as well felt something pinch the inside of his brain from hearing her words. They were a lot more intense than when Irina had prayed to bless him.

She continued, adding a line to insult Virtue, "**Pride comes before destruction. And a hauty spirit stumbles. It is better to be humble before the…**" her eyes flickered towards the Devils for an instant. "…**lowly, than to divide with the spoil with the proud.**"

The clatter coming from Xenovia and Irina stopped. Their eyes went wide at Serene's casual comments. Issei didn't understand what it was supposed to mean (as he was suffering from a sudden migraine) but apparently it was a big deal.

Virtue's eyes narrowed as he countered, "**When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Pride—"**

"Please stop," Issei managed to hiss out. "Look, I'm not asking why you were standing outside. I don't even care about me being a Devil or you being from the Church. I want to know why _you _are here, Serene. The only reason why I can… _tolerate _your existence is because you warned me about the others and because Asia asked me to hear you out. But that doesn't mean I forgive you for what you've done."

The Third Predator gave a sagely nod, "Of course. I am present because you are here, Issei. The Gathering of Heaven had sent a request to both the Vatican and the Eastern Orthodox branches—"

"Serene," Virtue growled.

"…It is within his rights to know our business," she said without losing her patience. "He has marked this region as his territory. While we are on the matter, do not forget why you are here, Saint Virtue. You are the supervisor of this expedition while I am the deterrent on the chance the Eighth Predator becomes hostile. It is up to me to decide how I am to deal with him should he approach us, as he has. Please do not impede me on my orders any further."

Virtue grimaced with his hands clenching against the sleeves of his arms. But he remained silent.

Serene returned to Issei in her tranquility as though the minor argument never took place. "To be exact, Xenovia and Irina are here in this city to investigate the theft of sacred artifacts. The search has been narrowed down to this city. Further details of the investigation are things I cannot share with you. However, your actions in the Underworld have caused the culprit to lie low recently and at the same time frightened—"

"Gained the attention of…" Virtue _corrected._

"…Gained the attention of the Church to be…" Serene looked over towards Virtue to see if he was going to correct her again. "…cautious. In doing so, Saint Virtue has volunteered to lead the investigation as well as retrieving the artifacts and… punishing the culprit. I am here because it was requested by the Gathering of Heaven to be added protection while they investigate. I am only here because of that. Nothing more."

"So…" Issei narrowed it down in his head. "You're here strictly on business from the Church. _Conveniently _in the city I live in? Yeah, I'm not buying it. Especially with everything going on. What's Rolan up to this time?"

Serene tilted her head slightly; the gesture was almost missed. "…Believe what you will, Issei. You have become what was desired. I've no reason to follow his schemes any further. Before I am… that, I am a Living Saint, a Voice of God, a Prophet. I swear upon my name I shall do nothing towards you, provided you do not enact evil upon us first."

"You _didn't," _Virtue sneered, angrier than he had ever been.

The clatter stopped again as Xenovia, Irina, and this time Asia gasped. A promise was nice and all, but that's all it was. A promise. Hollow words. He didn't understand why everyone had come to such a reaction.

Asia tugged at his shirt. "I-Ise, you know Sister Serene's real name?!"

He raised a brow at this. "Um… yeah? It's—"

"Do not share it so carelessly," Serene cut in. There was an edge in her voice, the first sign of expression she had and it sent a ripple of alarms down his spine. "It is the ultimate sign of trust a Living Saint can give to another individual. Why do you think I am called Serene of Finland and he Virtue of Germany? We are all the chosen Voices of God, His expressions given corporeal form. You as a Devil should know this better than anyone. To give a name is to give a soul. In your hands you possess mine. Understand this, Issei. And understand I have put all of my trust into you."

Issei didn't understand the full gravity of her words. But that didn't mean it wasn't _heavy. _While he lacked the comprehension skills and a point of reference as he knew next to nothing about the workings of the Church, he understood enough to realize how much power he had over Serene. But he had done so because she believed in him. She trusted him.

She had asked him in her letter to save Asia not as Third Predator, but as _Amelia Rosewood. _Suddenly he understood the weight of her request. No, it wasn't a request. It was a plea; she was _begging _for him to save Asia and was willing to trade her soul for it.

He felt nauseous. How could he not? He had failed to save Asia in the end.

"…I see," was all he could say. "Alright. I believe you. But I'm still going to be sharing this with my master. She is the one in charge of looking over the city."

"Hmph," Virtue huffed, effectively pissing off Issei once again. "_Devils. _This is a _human _settlement**. Evildoers will be cut off. But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.** Your place is down there."

"Seriously, stop that!" Issei barked when he and Asia flinched from… whatever the hell he was doing.

Serene spoke up once more as she eyed Asia, "While it is unfortunate you have become a Devil, child, it is still a wonder to see you are well. I give thanks to your savior. As promised, Issei, I shall grant you the one favor. Name it… But understand there will be _consequences _should you repeat your actions the last time we met."

There was something _dark _in her tone that made him sweat. And not just dark as in evil. No, he meant dark as in, oh, the deepest pits of an abyss where no light could ever shine and no hope could ever rise. A darkness so dark it made a full loop on the scale and seemed brilliant. Simply, the kind that would turn his world upside down should he do _that _again.

_That _couldn't even be mentioned. Serene had just been that thorough in punishment. He feared even so much as thinking about it would reactivate the curse she placed on him.

"…I can't accept," he said with a heavy heart. "I didn't save Asia."

"She is alive," Serene argued with her (seemingly) absolute patience. "There is no method of reversing _his _pagan rite unless by _his _own hands. Not even my Miracles can undo the damage."

"Ah, _him,_" Virtue nodded with something akin to sympathy in his eyes. "The bane of Heaven, the usurper of our Father's greatest enemy."

"…I didn't save her," Issei repeated. "She was still taken and killed when they extracted her Twilight Healing. But the Fourth didn't do what he did to Ayame to Asia. My sister. He cursed her with something not even the Evil Pieces could fix. I couldn't save them both. In the end, it was my master who resurrected Asia. All I did was rampage."

Under the table, the two Devils' hands met.

"She is alive," Serene repeated. "Regardless of the circumstances, would you deny you had a part in reviving Asia? I can see it in her eyes; she lives because of you. Is this true or not?"

"Why do you seek a reason to _reward _this heathen as if he is worth salvation?" Virtue said through gritted teeth.

Serene did not answer. She never looked away from Issei. "Your request. Say it."

He remembered Serene promising something like that in her letter. But he never believed he deserved it and so he had never thought about it. He didn't have a request to make. There was nothing he wanted from Serene either. Even if he could request _that _again and suffer through the consequences… he believed it would be hollowed. There would be no enjoyment in it and his gods of debauchery would frown upon him.

If anything… while _he _didn't need anything… there was something Asia needed.

"I want Asia to be able to pray again," he answered.

A cold silence spread throughout the table.

"I-I-I-Ise…" Asia shivered and brought her hands to her mouth. Of all the things he could have asked for, of all the Miracles Serene could have granted, he chose something for her. Tears swelled in her eyes.

"…I do not have the authority to grant such a request," Serene answered in the same lackluster tone as always.

"Yeah, but you have the _power _to make it happen," Issei countered. "This is my request. Even if you said you didn't owe me anything I would have still asked this of you. Asia is dejected she can't read her bible or say her prayers before going to bed. She does her best to not show it, but she's sad she can't do the things she loves. Please do this. Not for me, but for her."

He bowed until his brow was flat against the table. He waited anxiously for Serene's reply.

"You are correct," she answered after some thought. "I do have the power. If this is your request, very well."

"I-Ise, I, you, I mean, you can't…" Asia was flustered as her mind went back and forth between her love and the woman who raised her.

Serene turned towards Asia and so spoke through the Voice of God, "_**In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of—**_"

"Wait," Virtue interrupted in a cold voice it felt like steel at the edge of a jugular. "Little one, do you seek redemption? Do you seek to earn the Lord's favor once again?"

Asia couldn't talk at his overbearing presence. She shrunk down in her seat as his holy essence spiked like an angel of retribution had manifested before her. Her instincts as a Devil made her skin crawl and sweat break out of fear. This was the radiance of a Living Saint, those touched by God Himself to enact His Miracles upon the world. By definition, they were the holiest of beings and stood on par with the Seraphim.

"You are the Witch Maiden, are you not?" Xenovia spoke up for the first time. She put her fork down and sat up straight. "I had heard the former Holy Maiden had been exiled because… what was it… she possessed the ability to heal Devils and Fallen alike. It is a shame to see one so loved by the Church being reduced to becoming a Devil. I must repeat Saint Virtue's question. I do not believe a Devil would wish to pray to the Lord; do you seek a way to reenter his grace?"

"Hm?" Irina hummed with a spoonful of potatoes in her mouth. "Xenovia, there's no way a Devil can still believe in God. Are you sure?"

Xenovia's eyes narrowed. "I sense something within her. The belief is still in there in a perverse way. Though she is tainted in sin, I can feel the guilt swelling in her core for betraying Him. To walk in the path of light one must first shed off the darkness, Asia."

Asia continued to shiver. She couldn't speak for herself.

"There is another way of doing that," Virtue went on. "The _right _way."

He then looked at Xenovia and gave her a nod to continue.

The blue-haired Exorcist spoke, "If I kill you in His name, our God will forgive you. You can redeem yourself through the fires of Hell."

Issei slammed his hands on the table as his murderous intent leaked into the café. He began to stand with his draconian nature slipping through; his teeth sharpened into fangs as his eyes turned green. He had heard enough. He wasn't going to sit by as some religious zealots who don't know _shit _talk about Asia like that. They didn't know what she went through. They didn't know she was tricked. They knew _nothing _and spoke heresy as if it were the truth.

He could not tolerate such an insult to _his _Asia. He was going to kill them.

"Enough."

There is a reason why of all the virtues of Heaven she is called Serene.

She was _annoyed. _Her face did not change with the exception with a few minor adjustments. Her brows furrowed just enough to create the tiniest crease. Her lips thinned but barely the slightest. And her eyes made the most miniscule of twitches. These things could not be captured by even the most observant of individuals. She looked just the same as she had a few seconds ago. But those changes were there.

Her beauty remained the same. However, an ugly visage morphed her being as true, malevolent, vile **evil **made itself present before them all. The light in the room was being repelled while even the shadows themselves slithered away from her as though the darkness in her heart surpassed theirs. Because no evil was above her. She _was _evil. And evil was she.

She is called Serene because her Voice heralds the coming of peace… by any means.

This… ominous intent was expressed only towards those seated at the table. All other patrons within the café were ignorant of what was going on. Asia received the smallest of it, only perceiving that Serene was _highly _upset. Issei received the next tier, only perceiving her as a creature not to be trifled with unless it was absolutely necessary.

As for the others… they received the worst of it. Virtue's body tensed as his eyes widened slightly in fear. But Xenovia and Irina did not have anywhere near as much fortitude as the Paladin Lord. To them, Serene was _the _devil made flesh. The evil within her was far too great for their faith to protect them.

Serene blinked. The evil presence vanished with it. But its effect remained as the table was silent.

As if nothing had happened, she sipped the last of her coffee and spoke in her calm tone, "I am a Voice of God. His words speak through me. What I say is His words. Do not question it again.

"Asia Argento, pray for all of us. Pray for our forgiveness."

Asia was still shaken by everything that had transpired. But she gave a stiff nod and clasped her hands together. She opened her mouth but stopped herself from speaking. She didn't feel any different and so feared the pain from prayer. What hurt her more was not the physical pain, but the knowledge the Lord was rejecting her at every attempt. It haunted her.

"Pray, child," Serene said again. This time in a motherly tone.

"…Our Father…"

Asia waited. And waited. And waited…

Nothing happened.

"W-Who art in Heaven…" once again she waited for the pain to strike. But nothing happened. Her eyes widened. With a little bit of courage this time, she continued, "H-H-Hallowed be thy name…"

She paused once more. Again, nothing happened.

It was then the tears fell down. Through her cries she continued to recite the Lord's Prayer. There was no pain. There was no rejection. The Lord her God had finally accepted her back into His loving embrace.

Virtue stood and stormed out of the restaurant, pushing the table aside and knocking dishes to the floor in his outrage.

The manager shouted something and followed right after him. But Issei couldn't care less. Though he felt a little uneasy for hearing the prayer as a Devil, he was more than willing to put up with it if it meant Asia could be happy. And as she was happy, he was happy as well. Some slight discomfort meant nothing to him if he could see her smile like this.

But, as he and Serene looked at another in a glance, he had to wonder something.

What _really _was the Voice of God if the Heavenly Father was dead? For that matter, what was Serene?

He had a feeling the answer was something he wouldn't want to know. Rather, something Asia should never hear about. He had a feeling the truth came from a very dark place.

Because there was an evil within Serene that was more malicious than anything Issei had ever come across.

*Scene*

It was late by the time they came home. The members of the Church went on their way to continue their investigation. He had felt Rias and the others leave the area as soon as they left the café. He would have to ask them why they departed the next time they saw them.

The date resumed nonetheless. If Asia was happy at the beginning of the day she was beaming by the end. All day she muttered thanks to her God whenever they did something together. They went to the amusement park as was planned. Games were played, rides were ridden, Asia puked after her first roller coaster but went on a second time, and they enjoyed the sunset together on the Farris wheel. They kissed at the peak.

It was totally worth her bad breath.

Asia held the stuffed bear he had won her tight to her chest in one arm as she held his hand in the other. All day she couldn't bear to let him go. She had the need to be closer to him now more than ever. What he had done for her was something she could never repay no matter how long of a life she had as a Devil. But he hadn't done it to expect something in return. He had done it because he loved her. Nothing more.

In essence, he had given her _everything._

"Ise, I'm going to take a bath first, if that's okay," she said through heavily reddened cheeks. With what she had in mind she couldn't look at him else lose all her confidence. "Um… I… I might accidentally forget to… l-l-lock the door. But that's usually my fault so… I won't be mad if… you s-stumble in…"

She brushed past him and hurried up the stairs.

Issei blinked as he stood in silence. Did she… did she just give him _permission _to peep on her? No, no, no. Asia is far too innocent for that kind of stuff. There wasn't an ounce of lust in her. He didn't sense any such intentions within her either. So he had to take her words at exact measure.

He was in his room lying on top of his bed in the next few minutes. He stared up at the ceiling. His brows were twitching. Of all the things going on within the past twenty-four hours it wasn't the encounters with Rolan or Serene that bothered him at the moment. No, of all the things it was what Asia had just said that bothered him the most.

_Was she _giving him permission?!

He tossed in turned on his bed as he argued with himself. He gripped the pillow over his face and screamed into it. Asia had been upset those nights ago that he didn't look at her like the way he would with any other girl. She had stated he _wanted _him to look at her with his perverted eyes. So why wasn't he?!

Because he was a coward, that's why. Just as she was first skeptical about praying after… whatever Serene had done, he felt just the same. He had taken abuse from girls throughout his life. He admitted he deserved it. And so he couldn't find the strength to get up, go down the hall, and 'stumble' into the bathroom like he had previously done the first week she moved into his house.

Why was there a difference between then and now?

Because she was _his. _Then, he always believed she would leave him in due time and so milked her living here as much as possible. He thought it was inevitable she would depart even if he did nothing. But now, she chose to stay despite everything. That right there should be clear evidence she didn't mind his perversity. _Fuck, _she had encouraged it!

He just couldn't do it. He was a coward. He was spineless. He couldn't pass that line even when he had received an invitation. He knew nothing bad would happen to him and yet he couldn't let go of that fear. Something bad would happen even if all the signs were clear. Misfortune would just turn up on its own.

His eyes flickered towards the door. Asia had left the bathroom and gone towards her room to dress.

He sat up and put his face into his hands. Fuck. He was a fucking coward. He missed his chance with the only girl who would love him.

She was returning to his room. Quickly, he shoved down his regrets and put up a smile for her.

Asia slowly opened the door. She was hesitating. He could feel her heart beating like mad. She slipped inside and shut the door, leaning against it with her eyes hidden in her bangs. Her face was entirely red as she stared at the ground. She continued to play with the hem of her sleepwear as if it would make the problem go away. Her eyes flickered once towards him and then shot back down to the floor.

Her heart was racing. Faster and faster.

Timidity, nervousness, fear, these emotions cycled through her. But one stood above all of them. One made her stand up and approach him. One made her feet move forward until she was sitting beside him. One kept her from running away.

Love. He was sensing _love._

"Ise… I…" she managed to say but couldn't find any other words. Her heart raced to the point where he became alarmed. Her breathing hitched as her anxiety was spiking.

"H-Hey, Asia," he gripped her shoulders. "Are you all—"

She dove in, pressing her lips against his as she couldn't take it any longer. They fumbled as their teeth clashed, he tasted blood, but she continued to kiss him regardless.

He managed to push her away. "Asia… w-what…?"

"Ise… you promised…" she said in a low voice as she looked down. "I… I know they aren't as big as Buchou's or Akeno-neesan's, but they're yours…"

She grabbed his hand and brought it over her left breast. The muscles in his arm coiled at the touch.

"Can you feel it?" she asked, this time looking at him. "My heart. It's yours. _I'm _yours. Please, Ise, let me love you. Because I already love you so much."

He couldn't talk. She took it as a sign to progress her intentions. With shaking hands and awkward fumbling of her fingers, she began to unbutton her top until her chest lay bare before him. Her nubile figure and pale skin was his to see. Grabbing both his hands this time, she brought them up to bring them together over her chest.

He couldn't find a way to describe them. They were small, yes, but they were _perfect. _They were beyond what fantasies he could envision.

But neither of the two moved any further. They remained sitting across another in silence without another progressing.

"I… I don't know what to do…" Asia looked afraid. He could feel her doubt. She was doubting her credibility as a lover. She was beginning to feel guilt for being inadequately prepared. She was beginning to panic as was ready to leave him in her embarrassment.

Issei would never forgive himself if she left because _he _was clueless. This was his second chance Asia was giving him. He couldn't afford to be afraid any longer. He threw his arms around her and embraced her tight. His sensitive draconian body flared at the feeling of her flesh poking through his clothes. But he forced himself to remain in control.

"Asia… please don't ever leave me," he said as he held her just a little tighter. "If you're okay with it being me, I'll love you forever. Just please stay with me always and I will love you more than anything. I don't want to lose you."

She returned his embrace. Her heart began to settle as a warmth passed through her. "Ise… I'll never leave you if you do the same. Please don't leave me. Please stay with me forever. And… I'll love Ise forever and ever if you do."

They parted but kept their arms around another. Their brows pressed against another as they locked loving eyes at another. Time and space evaporated around them as they were rendered into their own world. Their lips met, softly, tenderly, massaging another through pecks and electrifying another through their sweet passion. Nothing was rushed. There was no need for it. They had an eternity to express their love to another.

In time, Asia was lain down on the bed with Issei on top of her. Their eyes never looked away as their breathing matched another's. Both their hearts were beating in a rapid sync. Asia wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him in closer for another kiss, this time filled with more passion and force the shy girl would ever give. In this one kiss was all the love she had for Issei. And in response he returned with equal passion.

He began to kiss her neck. She craned her head upwards to give him space, making a soft moan at the sensation she hadn't felt before. The tingling continued to grow the more he began to kiss and the lower his lips reached as they climbed down her neck, to her collar, over her breasts, over her stomach, and then…

"W-Wait," she gasped as she put her hands over her face. But he continued to kiss her, sending electricity throughout her body with every peck. She could feel his hands gripping at the waist of her bottoms and start to pull down. She couldn't let him see her face as shame washed over her. But she hid nothing from him. Down there was the ugliest side of her and only dared to let it be seen because she loved him with everything she had. She swore everything about her was his, both the good and the bad. Her heart fluttered once more as she waited for him to either accept or reject her.

If electricity had coursed through her through his kisses, a surge of lightning made her back arch when he kissed her most sensitive spot. She didn't expect him to _kiss _that. Did that mean he accepted her ugliest part? Did that mean he loved everything about her, both the good and the bad?

Yes, because he continued to kiss it. Her legs squirmed as the feeling of euphoria sent her reeling. She was confused and was starting to worry. This was a reaction she had never gone through in her life. She didn't know if it was normal or if there was something wrong with her. But she could not deny it felt wondrous and craved more. As her body wiggled, her hands unintentionally gripped a few locks of his hair. The more he kissed the more her body squirmed. The feeling was building up like some sort of pressure. But even she knew it was going to hit its limit at some point. It was bound to burst when she couldn't take any more.

"Ise… I'm… I'm gonna…" she didn't know what was going to happen. But that limit was quickly approaching. Fast. She tried to stop him. She tugged on his hair harder and tried to move away from him. But her body betrayed her when she couldn't move away and she couldn't find the ability to speak.

White filled her vision. Her voice made a noise but her mind was in too much of a blank to make any sense of it. Her body arched more than it had before, her legs kicked out, her toes curled up, and something was leaking from her lower area.

Asia was panting by the time the sensation had faded. She felt tired. So very tired. Issei had climbed back on top of her. Her eyes were glazed and she couldn't focus on him, but she was aware enough to bring her hands to his face. Her hands cupped his cheeks as she tried to give him a loving smile. She didn't know if she succeeded. She didn't want him to worry for her sake.

"Ise…" she panted. "I… don't…" another pant. "…know… what… next…"

"It's alright," he whispered fondly towards her. The sound of his voice alone made her tingle. "I'm going to start. Just… tell me to stop if it hurts."

She didn't understand what he meant but nodded her head anyways. She trusted him. She believed in him. He would never do anything to hurt her.

A new wave of electricity coursed through her. But it was nothing like the kind she had felt before. Pain. Unbearable, cruel, burning pain swept through her. She winced and gripped his clothes as hard as she could.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" she cried as the tears forced their way through. "It hurts!"

"I… I'm sorry Asia! I shouldn't have—"

"DON'T STOP!" she shouted and wrapped her legs around his waist. He had tried to move away from her, to separate himself from her, to _leave _her. Through heavy tears she cried, "You promised. You promised to never leave me! Don't leave me, Ise! I'll fight through this. Please don't stop. You've done so much for me. You've suffered so much because of me. If I can make you happy with this, then I can do this. It's my turn to do something for you.

"Because I love Ise more than anything. I'll do anything for Ise!"

She continued to cry when their lips met once more. The pain was intense, but not overwhelming. Her love for him was greater. Their kiss reassured this. When she focused on her love for him, the pain was in the back of her mind, making it nothing more than an idle thought.

He began to move. The pain increased but she pushed it back down. She focused only on Issei. The tears continued to flow from a mixture of pain, euphoria, and pure blissful love. She did not fully understand what it meant to make love. She did not understand why this particular act was considered the practice of expressing another's love in the ultimate way. Was it because of the pain? Was it because of the delight she felt through the kissing?

It didn't matter. Even if making love was to hop on one foot Asia would partake simply because it was a means to express how much she loved the man that was Hyoudou Issei. Right now made no difference.

Now, two waves of electricity was coursing through her. Both pain and the sensation from earlier. They mixed with another and were clashing for dominance. Slowly and steadily, the euphoric sense was winning. The pain was dulling until it was nothing more than a flickering ember. Still there but hardly a problem. Noticeable, but only if she focused on it.

She couldn't. All of her thoughts were consumed by Issei.

A sound was escaping through her voice. It wasn't by her will this sound was being made. It was naturally happening as the electricity turned once more into lightning. Her body was twitching as she was beginning to lose control again. But she couldn't let go of the one she loved. Her grip tightened on both her arms and her legs. She refused to leave him and refused for him to leave her.

Their eyes never parted even as both their visions began to blur. The world was becoming a swirl of colors but she could still make out the image of her love.

Her voice was becoming louder as he picked up speed, adding more thrust to his movements. Asia was panting. She had lost control of her self and no longer fought against her body. The fear and confusion was no longer present this time unlike before. The euphoria was climbing, building once again in pressure that would burst in time. There was nothing she could do about it. The limit was quickly approaching.

She shrieked as a storm swept through her insides. A heat consumed her as the real world was lost to her. Only by keeping her grip on her love was she able to maintain her consciousness.

He stopped moving. She lost strength. Her legs fell off his waist and her arms fell off his neck. She panted with glazed eyes peering up at him. Inwardly, she was afraid she had just left him because of this weakness. She was no longer touching him except where they were still connected down below. She was growing worried. She wanted to hold him but she couldn't muster the strength to do it.

Instead, he came to her. He pressed his body against her while not keeping himself upright so to not crush her. Their lips met again as he kissed her. She tried to kiss him in return but could do nothing further than move her lips ever so slightly. She wanted to kiss him; her mind, heart, and soul craved it but her body couldn't comply.

"Ise…" she gasped, calling his name was a chore but she refused to be denied this one thing. No matter how weak her body was she will always be able to do this one thing. "I… love… you…"

He brought one hand up to her cheek and wiped away the tears with his thumb. So softly it could have been a dream to her, he kissed her again. "Asia, I love you too.

"Are you ready to go again?"

…Huh?

"…Huh?" she tried to repeat the question running through her head. She tried to stop him. Tried to warn him she wasn't ready and needed a moment to catch her breath.

Her body flared when he began to move again. A squeal broke through her voice beyond her control. The feeling of ecstasy returned in a vengeance as the next session was far more intense than the former. The pain was gone by this point.

Asia Argento was swept away into a world of bliss, a world where there was nothing except she and Hyoudou Issei. In this world there were no two separate entities. Asia and Issei were one in the same person. Reality was simply another world outside their reach as they moved together.

In time, she began to find the strength to move as well. She went along with his movements, syncing her being with his to increase the levels of pleasure. During all this time, they never left another's embrace. Their arms were always around another's.

Unfortunately, this time couldn't last forever. No matter how much more she wanted this to continue, to be lost in love and bliss, her body had limitations. As soon as the sun rose, her stamina was depleted. The dark of the night could no longer support her Devil's body as the sun was her weakness. Defiant until the very end, she shivered in one final moment of ecstasy before she collapsed from exhaustion.

Asia Argento would not wake again until sundown.


	13. The Game Changes

**You should know this song and dance by now.**

And I am on a roll! Another chapter out in less than a week! Boo ya!

Now, the only reason why is because I had a lot of free time this weekend, had half the chapter already written, and the chapter actually ends at 12k again. But guess what! There's another omake at the end!

*Blasts of confetti everywhere*

So you all know, omakes are not canon to this story. They're mostly fun ideas I've had and in most cases won't make sense as the story progresses. So don't take them too seriously. Second, I leave A LOT of gaps between scenes for you guys to fill in the holes yourselves (I still one someone to make a story of this!) And third, it follows the Fate and UBW route in case some of you were wondering.

I, uh, actually don't have much to say in this note. I've replied to everyone's reviews that was needed via PMs. Oh, I remember now what I was suppose to address.

Lemons! Yeah... they're going to be rare. Like very. Asia was a very special case and I only have two more planned out of... I think there are like 12 girls in the whole damn series. One is already set in stone (you guys can pretty much already guess who) so I'll let you guys decide who's going to be the third girl. Have fun.

Once again, thank you very much for reading. Now then, ON WITH THE SHOW!

* * *

**Beta:**

None for this chapter. I think Third Fang tossed something for the omake but that's about it...

* * *

Issei wanted to remain in the arms of the one who loved him dearly. He could tolerate the soiled sheets, the stench of musk, dry sweat oiling their skins, and even the annoying rays of the sun beaming through the curtains. He welcomed all of these things if it meant he could remain in the arms of Asia Argento. She slept peacefully at his side, a smile on her face as she had been swept away in dreams of bliss and love.

Alas, his mind couldn't shut down to enjoy this peace. Though he was… tired, he hadn't burned enough stamina for his body to demand rest. Sleep was more of a _hobby _at this point than a necessity. Plus, there were far too many things going on in his head for him to calm down even if his body demanded it.

He remained with Asia for as long as possible. A good hour after the sun had risen, he lifted her arms off of him and slid out of bed so smoothly he could have been a phantom. Asia did not stir in her sleep. Issei, though, pulled the sheets over her, stroked a few strands of hair out of her face, and kissed her brow before leaving the room with a spare change of clothes.

Asia's smile had grown ever so slightly as her subconscious recognized his gesture.

He took his time bathing, cooking breakfast (after making a list of needed groceries for later), and fulfilling his Sunday chores of housecleaning. The only thing he didn't do was vacuum and that was so he wouldn't wake Asia.

It wasn't even noon by the time he had finished doing everything else.

This was fine. The silence of the house was a reminder he needed to hear.

The old secured laptop he had used as his means of communicating with the other Predators had been pulled from what box he tossed it into within his basement. The next moments were spent setting up the correct wires, running the system scan to secure the network, and reconfiguring the settings (as everything had been reset from him _throwing _the thing into the basement).

He wasn't surprised to see the only new messages came from Seventh Predator. They never were anything important as the Valkyrie could never take anything seriously. He didn't bother reading them and just dumped everything into the trash section.

Rolan was online.

Issei spent the next few minutes arguing with himself. He had much he needed to say to Rolan. Twice so to _beat _him with. He moved his mouse over to Rolan's profile and was about to click on the button to access a video chat… but his instincts made him stop.

Talking to Rolan now would cause _major _problems. The World was warning him of the mistake he was going to walk into.

He sneered and rubbed his face in his hands. Of course nothing could be so simple when it came to his peers. He couldn't just tell Rolan off nor could he fly over to America and pummel him to the ground. While, yes, he _could, _Rolan was just as capable of pushing back as Sixth Predator.

But that's where the line was drawn. Rolan wasn't _just _a Predator. He wouldn't just push back if Issei tried to assault him; Rolan would win due to the aftermath.

Issei was outclassed.

But he couldn't give up. He refused to hand his best friend over to that man.

However… what could Issei do? He wasn't skilled in the game of politics. While he was recently promoted to the rank of Demon Lord it meant nothing at the moment as he was without any of the privileges. He needed first to prove himself… and who knows how long that would take? By the time he could fully receive the authority Sona might already be walking down the aisle.

There was a ping on his computer. Li Qin, Seventh Predator, had just sent him a message. She must have seen he was online. He deleted it.

He looked to see who else was available, though he doubted any of them would be willing to help him without screwing him over in the end. First Predator Archibald, Second Siegfried, and Fifth Philips were online. The First was always neutral provided you had a means to pay for his services; Issei was still paying off a debt to the man from three years ago. Ludwig had _claimed _he had cut off ties with Rolan but Issei took that with a grain of salt. As for Philips… Issei had never met the man but had exchanged a few messages for missions. He didn't know how to treat Philips.

Mulling over his thoughts once again, Li Qin sent another message. This time he skimmed through it. The message was nothing more than her trying to get his attention and to stop ignoring her.

He frowned and deleted the message, this time setting the feature to block her. When the Ayame incident occurred, most of the Predators had sent letters and gifts in _apology. _Li Qin's letter wasn't any different than how she would complement a cute dress, mention the weather, or how she would kill someone _randomly_. She was the epitome of immaturity.

She hadn't warned Issei nor came to his aid because she believed the incident sounded _fun _to her. As if it was a _game. _She didn't apologize in her letter; she _congratulated _him on a job well done. Her gift was a drawing of him in his dragon armor with a slain Fourth Predator under his boot.

It wasn't even ten seconds after he blocked her she managed to send another message. This time he shut the program and turned off the computer.

It came back to life with _another _message popping up on the screen. He shut it, disconnected all the wires, and removed the battery pack.

And yet, the laptop _vibrated _as if it were a cellular device with the annoying ping of a new message going off.

Issei's response was to break the machine in two over his knee and tossing it in the garbage outside. Thankfully that had done the trick as he was left to his silence.

He needed to think to himself. As he sat on the couch he flicked the television on. He almost expected something relating to Li Qin appearing on the news to get his attention but thankfully the Seventh wasn't _that _eccentric. Regardless, he would have flipped the channels as he was doing right now. Honestly, he wasn't even looking for anything and just left it on to one of the morning talk shows.

They were discussing the recent disappearance of the Red Blur.

"Good morning, Ise," Rias Gremory greeted as she slid her arms around his neck from behind the couch. He had noticed her enter via magic circle but didn't pay it much mind.

"Good morning, Buchou," he returned the greeting with a warm smile of his own, masterfully hiding his previous aggressions from her.

She swiveled around to take a seat beside him as they continued to watch the talk show. The host was asking questions from the audience regarding what they thought happened to the Red Blur and why he hasn't appeared recently. There were some… interesting theories. The most popular one had to do in relations to his message to Ayame, or rather "Kirsche". They thought he ran off with her to parts unknown to live their life together.

His brow twitched when the guest speaker, one of the leading directors who animated **Dragon Knight Heroes**, said they were discussing Reddobura (Issei) and the Sakura Princess (Kirche) being the main characters for the upcoming movie.

"Sorry, Ise, but it's just me for now," Rias said when they cut to commercial. "Akeno is off doing some Sunday errands; there's usually a few specials at the markets in the mornings. But she said she'll be available for later. Koneko usually sleeps in on Sundays… but I'm sure she'll be here as soon as she's ready. And… well, I haven't heard from Kiba since yesterday."

She scooted closer to him and rubbed her shoulder against his. "So Ise, how did your date with Asia go?"

"Hm," was his only reply as his eyes were locked on the television screen. His mind was wrapped around too many things. He was trying to think of a way to get Sona out of the marriage, Third Predator Serene roaming around his territory, and now the apparent increase in global crime rates since the Red Blur's absence. He had sworn to be a hero now that he had the power to stop bad things from happening… and yet he hadn't made do with that promise. Today was the perfect day to make a reappearance. But… he couldn't get off the couch, climb into the basement, and fly away.

He didn't know why either.

"Ise," Rias tried getting his attention, flicking the side of his head. It wasn't the flick that got his attention, it was the Predator's perk of warning him of her attack that got him. "You know… if something is bothering you… you can always confide in me, right?"

"Ah… sorry Buchou," he gave her a small smile and rubbed the spot as if it had hurt him. "Are you hungry? I just ate not too long ago but I can make you something if you like? Would you like some tea?"

She frowned at the absurdity of his response. "Ise, please don't ignore what I just said. I know you heard me."

He continued to scratch the mark she flicked him with his eyes still on the television. "Asia and I ran into a few members of the Church. A pair of Exorcists, a Paladin… Lord…. whatever that is, and Serene of Finland the Divine Beast Predator. But you already know this. I saw you spying on us at the beginning of the day."

She didn't deny his accusations. She had been aware of his constant presence awareness ability prior to her decision to _observe _their date. "Yes, I'm aware. And what did they talk about with you?"

"They're here to investigate the whereabouts of some sacred artifacts stolen from them and to find the culprit. Serene is only here to protect them from me. She promised to leave me alone if I do the same. But I also told her I would run this with you as well. What do you think?"

Rias' frown furthered as she crossed her arms. "…And you believe her? Just like that?"

He finally looked away from the screen as he bowed his head and, likewise, crossed his arms in thought. "At first I didn't, and I'm still skeptical about everything, but I've no choice but to comply until something happens. I don't know much about the workings of the Church… and Asia did her best to explain things to me but I still don't get it. Serene is a Living Saint and she gave me her real name. Apparently it's a big deal."

Rias blanched. "What? I-Ise, that _is _a big deal! Alright, look, Living Saints are the chosen few of God Himself who receive his blessings. While humans receive Sacred Gears, Living Saints are given His actual wonders. They become prophets and can enact His miracles.

"But there comes a major price for their grace. They _are _aspects of God and are indirectly His expressions made real. Therefore, they lose their identities as human beings; they no longer are human and are only His hands. But if you learn of their real names, it is possible to have complete control over them. Do you understand?"

"…No," he said after a moment of repeating her words through his head. Asia and Serene both had said the same thing to him. But he still didn't get what the big deal was about having her name.

Rias turned away and tapped her chin in thought. "Let's put it this way… They are like… machines. Powerful and work on their own intelligence. Now, there's no way you can operate them _unless _they give you the master key, the remote control, whatever you'd like to call it. _That _would be their names. Though they are fragments of God made real, they still operate in corporeal flesh. To have their names is to have command over their human aspects.

"If you so wanted, you could make the Third Predator do _anything._"

He felt twice as sick as yesterday. _Now _he understood what it meant to know Serene's real name. To save Asia from the Fourth, Serene hadn't just traded the knowledge of her name to him and begged for his cooperation. She had traded her soul. She had willingly surrendered her everything to ensure Asia would be alive.

And he had failed.

But then raised the question… why go to such lengths? What was Asia to Serene? If she had gone so far as to give Issei her name then why not just defy the other Predators to begin with? Having her name wouldn't have helped him in the slightest when dealing against the Fourth. So why give it?

His fingers played against the underside of his jaw. He felt like he needed to puke from this information but swallowed it back down. "This is your city, Buchou. What are you going to do?"

Rias had seen his uneasiness but gave him space to go over his thoughts. Still, she answered the question but in a tone that suggested she was more so doing it for herself than to indulge him. "Nothing. So long as they keep to themselves there's really nothing I can do. Leviathan-sama gave you the authority to make the decision and you chose to let them walk away. I may be your master, Ise, but you _are _now my superior in jurisdiction. When it comes to matters like this I will have to report to you from now on and go from there."

Ah, so that's why the Gremory peerage stepped away once they all left the café. He found it somewhat annoying he still had to fulfill the responsibilities as Demon Lord but couldn't acquire a peerage of his own. But this was all for the evaluation process Serafall had told him about. She needed to see for herself if he was capable of dealing with the stress of the job before they could make it official.

His eyes went back to the television screen. The show was back on with the host now bringing out families onto the stage. They were all people whom the Red Blur had saved within the span of the past three years. They shared their stories on incidents he could remember as clear as day and spoke directly into the camera so to share their message towards the Red Blur as if he were listening.

But, he wasn't. Issei changed the channel.

Rias gave him a quizzical look that he pretended to have not noticed as he flipped through the stations. He stopped at a local news channel and listened to the reports. His brows creased as he quickly found out the chain of incidents were believed to have started because the Red Blur was nowhere to be seen. Gradually, the crime rate was going up. Interviews were made on the street with reporters asking what the people thought.

They had once felt safe knowing the Red Blur was always around to watch over them. They could walk anywhere they wanted knowing they were being protected. Though he could not be everywhere at the same time and could not stop all the world's troubles, the world was a much better place as criminals were always terrified of gaining his attention. No crime was too big or too little for him as he flew around the world solving as many problems as he could.

But now, they no longer felt safe. They were scared. The security blanket that had been around them at all times was gone and they felt exposed. The rotten, the desperate, and the insane who had been forced to hide into the deepest and darkest of holes were starting to crawl out of their dens after the Red Blur had stopped his patrols. They were the small ones, the daring or moronic who were testing the waters. Soon, the real evil ones will stir. And then in a wave all the forces of evil he had spent years suppressing and chipping away would break out.

Issei knew this. Some of those threats would demand his presence as Eighth Predator. He could stop them from happening right now. But he wouldn't.

He flipped the channel once more.

"…Ise, do you plan on going back out there?" Rias asked. She put her hand over his, making him stop clicking the remote. She pried it from him and turned off the screen. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. I'm worried for you. You haven't been yourself since… since then, and I know you never will be. And don't you dare tell me everything is _fine _because it's not. The smile you give me… You may be able to fool everyone else but you can't fool me. I know that smile is fake. I know everything you do is forced. You're lying to all of us."

"…That's not fair," he said with an edge in his tone. "How can I tell you what's wrong when you won't do the same thing, _master_?"

Her complexion visibly changed as she shrunk back in her seat.

"R-Rias…" Issei realized what he had said. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"No," she cut in and put her hand up when he was to say more. "No. You're right. I haven't been fair to you, have I?"

"Buchou, you've been—"

She put her hand up again to stop him. She lowered it, took a deep breath, and put two fingers to her brow in thought. They sat in silence as Rias tried to find words to her thoughts.

"I… I made a mistake, Ise," she began in a low voice. "A mistake I've been trying to correct and have failed miserably at every chance. I don't know how many more I have until it can't be undone. I took complete advantage of you because of my moment of weakness. I was weak. Now that Raizer has been dealt with I can think clearly and have found several different ways of getting out of the marriage without involving you. But none of them came to me and so I chose the _easiest _option even if it meant walking all over you. And I did. And it is the greatest regret of my life.

"Because of it, you can't see me for who I am. I am not Rias Gremory to you, I am your King and your master. You say my name, you may talk to me as you would with others, but even I can tell those feelings are hollow. Things might seem the same to you, but the difference how you treat me now compared how you treated me those first weeks you became my Pawn are as contrast as night and day.

"Ise, what I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I took advantage of you for my own gain. I'm sorry I played with your heart when all you wanted was comfort. I regret it and I hate myself for it. I want to know what I can do to make things right. I want to make amends and put things back the way they were. But I don't know what to do.

"I… I… I want you to love me as I do you."

His lips were pressed into a thin line. His heart was beating. Issei crossed his legs and fiddled with his thumbs as the anxiety was taking over. He had listened to her every word and listened to her heart. There was not a single lie in her words… but he couldn't help but not believe she was in love with him. Because…

"That's… not why I treat you like the way I do, Rias…" he began slowly. His heart was hurting as he didn't want to say these words to her. But she had opened up and told her secrets to him. She had kept them quiet since the night he pledged his loyalty towards her. She could have kept them longer if he hadn't pushed her.

Through eyes doing their best to withhold tears, Rias turned her way towards Issei. Her brows scrunched up as she waited patiently for him to continue. Just as she needed a moment to begin her elaboration, he needed one for his. But that did not mean she was being consumed in doubt and fear. After all, if he was not upset about the pledge then what could it have been she had done wrong? What other atrocity had she done to him?

He craned his head back and looked up towards the ceiling. "You know, I always had a crush on you since first seeing you in Kuoh. I remember; the guys and I had been chased by the kendo girls and I ran towards the old school building. I hid under the tree. But as I sat there, I saw you staring out the window of the clubroom. And I thought… she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.

"I was… scared when I first became a Devil. I had thought you wanted me only for my power. But you never asked questions. You never invaded my privacy. When I went out on patrol for the first time since becoming a Devil, you panicked and thought I had, what, killed myself? And when you learned I was the… the Red Dragon Emperor nothing changed. You kept your curiosity in check and was patient for me to open up. And when you learned I was a Predator, even though you were terrified of me after finding out, you never ran away. You always stayed by my side.

"The girl I had a crush on for the longest time became someone I fell in love with. But… I never had the best record with girls. So confessing to you would have exploded in my face. So I thought to myself… how can I be with her forever?"

"…The pledge," her voice was so quiet she may have imagined it. Her hands were shaking as she gripped the hem of her skirt. She had realized where she went wrong. She didn't just take advantage of him, she had also walked over his feelings for her. He would have given her the world but she took it from him instead.

"The way I treat you now…" he said slowly before stopping himself. He took a deep breath.

His next words made her heart wrench.

"…is because of what you said to Grayfia-san. She asked if you loved me, and you said yes you did. But you and I both know you didn't… right after I swore myself to you… right after we had made love… You were right, I didn't trust you but I was giving you a chance. I knew it was too good to be true but I ignored the voice in the back of my head because you've always been good to me. I dragged you into my hellish world as a Predator and you've held my hand the whole way through.

"But what you did was the same as _she. _That Fallen Angel."

Rias didn't know how to react. Should she cry? Should she shout? Should she hate herself further? Should she do everything? Should she do nothing? She simply didn't know. Her thoughts flew through her mind until she was drowning in them. Her hands were running through her hair.

He was willing to give her his heart, she had stolen it instead and then stabbed it. It had barely been an hour after he swore his allegiance to her did she betray him.

He _did _love her. At one point. But now that love was gone.

Rias opened her mouth to say something. An apology? An explanation? The thousands of thoughts storming in her mind suddenly crashed as she was left with a blank slate. Nothing was forming for her to react with. She couldn't tell him anything. She couldn't do anything for him.

She couldn't reach for his hand resting on his lap. She wanted to. She demanded for her hand to move across and reach for his. But her body could not comply. She remained frozen, lost in herself.

"…I know you're sorry."

Issei's hand reached for hers instead. His touch was soft and warm, and yet it filled her with such life it brought her out of her shell.

"I still love you, Bu… Rias. I think I always will. Now that I know how you feel… I can see how hard you've been trying to make things right. The things I didn't understand from before make sense to me now. I'm sorry I've been such an idiot to have not noticed. I'm sorry I've treated you so unfairly. People make mistakes— I get that; you've no idea how many I've made before. I'm sorry I've been keeping you at a distance when you've been trying to get closer.

"Hey, Rias, can we… can we start over? I won't break my pledge with you, but I want to be more than just your servant. Is that okay?"

She swore she wouldn't cry. She told herself she wouldn't.

And yet, the tears came anyways.

She had been wrong. She thought he thought of her only as his master. All along he had loved her but had been too afraid, too hurt, too insecure to trust her. She had made a most grievous mistake, yes. But he was willing to forgive her and start things anew.

"Y-Yes, Ise," she wiped away the tears. They threatened to fall again but she willed them back. "If you're okay with it being me…"

He _smiled. _It wasn't the fake one she had seen within the past month. It was the smile she had long missed since he had first become a Devil, during a time when he had nothing to worry about. When all of their troubles revolved around which of them could gain the most amount of contracts.

It made her heart flutter.

Her hands cupped his cheeks. She wanted to preserve that smile forever. She wanted to make him smile like that again.

"You know, usually it's the guy that's supposed to say it first but… How's this for starting over?" she asked with a mischievous tone. "Ise, I love you."

She could feel the warmth on his cheeks as his eyes widened slightly. She drew in closer until their brows were touching. She didn't want the space between them to be so vast.

Once again, he gave her the most beatific of smiles. "I love you too… R-Rias."

His shy and embarrassed tone made her equally as timid. She didn't know why she felt this way about him. They had already done the deed. _Twice! _So why when he was now hers was she reduced to a timid schoolgirl fretting over her first crush?

Because she _was _a timid schoolgirl fretting over her first crush. Issei was the first man she had fallen in love with, the first man she had ever an interest in, the first she had slept with, and the one who she had given her first kiss.

They ended up sitting close to another on the couch, simply enjoying another's company in silence. Rias leaned against his shoulder and rested her head against his. He held her hand and stroked it with his thumb in playful circles.

Things were back to normal. She had done it.

"You know, I almost forgot," she said to break the silence. "Where is Asia?"

She felt his body tense. He looked away as his hand suddenly felt clammy.

"A-Asia? W-Well… Ah… ha… ha…"

*Scene*

Xi'lon Li Qin had been fishing a lot more lately. It was her favorite pastime her grandfather had introduced her to since as far back as she could remember. She wouldn't doubt she had been fishing with him before her mind could record the memories. Her grandfather had loved it as it always brought him peace no matter how bad his illness brought him pain. She remembered always hating it, but she loved her grandfather and so tolerated it… most of the time. There were some times she remembered throwing a tantrum and making the poor old man return to the docks.

Even after her grandfather passed away she continued to fish. While she didn't understand how it worked, fishing _did _bring her peace whenever something was bothering her. Perhaps because she still hated it to this day and could redirect her suffering to fishing instead of whosoever was unfortunate enough to irritate her? Or perhaps it was from the nostalgia fulfilling a hobby her grandfather loved more than life itself?

Regardless, fishing usually worked to calm her down. Usually.

Her cheeks puffed as she whipped Mars around to toss the hook further into the lake. The crimson instrument of the Originals, sensing her displeasure and knowing she made an error in her swing, corrected its trajectory to have the fishhook land where she had desired.

"Neh, Issei you bubble blowing munch goat…" Li Qin tucked Mars into the holster inside her boat and checked on the status of her message through her cellphone. For the three hundred and thirty-seventh time, Issei had chosen to ignore her message. So she sent another and waited _patiently _for him to respond.

She had received an alert not too long ago saying his status was online. She nearly blew up the moon from sheer excitement but ended up blowing up (and then reconstructing) the mountain valley when both Mars and her Predator perks told her destroying the moon was a big _NO. _The firework spectacular of molten rock and forest fires did well to express her celebratory moment. But, hey, she also reconstructed the small village of monks within the mountains and made it so they never noticed anything happened.

Instead of out of excitement now, she was ready to blow it all up again out of anger. Issei, once again, had chosen to ignore her. She punched in another message through her keypad and sent it, this time sticking an 'Emergency' notice on the topic to get his attention.

Except the message bounced. He had turned off his computer.

"NEEEEEHHHHHHH?!" she shrieked out of anger. "Neh, neh, Mars, make sure he gets this message!"

[…Yes, mistress,] complied the Original being masquerading as a fishing rod. Oh how the mighty have fallen…

There was no visible sign to clarify Issei had received her message. But Mars doesn't fail in whatever he does. No Law could stop him as he was _above _them. So, she simply knew he would get the message.

It irritated her when she found out Issei had— _once bloody again_— ignored her message.

"Maaaaarrrrrrssssssss!" she growled.

[Yes, mistress,] Mars obeyed again and sent her message once again to Issei's receiver.

Her brow twitched. She didn't need to look at her phone to know the message was rejected.

"That's it! I've had it with him!" she stood from her boat in outrage. "Mars! We're going to Japan!"

[Need I remind you we are fulfilling a request for Predator Siegfried?] Mars returned in a somewhat scolding tone. Somewhat. He wouldn't _dream _of giving his master an actual lecture. [He is going to be displeased with you for leaving his Knights. They are under your protection while they conduct their business in these lands, mistress.]

She puffed her cheeks and pulled him out of the socket. By her will, the Original instrument of the Fourth Planetary Representative morphed into the shape of a paddle…

To which she dunked into the lake to push her way back to shore.

"Neh," she said to show her displeasure. Not because she lacked the vocabulary to express her _great _displeasure, but because her made-up word was something universal. It simply went with everything she did. "This is more important! A good wife _must _see to it their husband is always in malleable condition!"

[Amiable,] Mars corrected… and then regretted his actions.

She dunked him in the water again. Through her will, and especially because she wanted him to, he suddenly gained the ability to _drown. _He flopped around in her grip, trying to fight against her superior grasp and failing horrendously.

She pulled him out and pretended to have done nothing against him. "Un, besides, Predator Lulu is an old fuddy duddy who's going to kick it pretty soon. But I really don't want him to give me a lecture… Neh."

She puffed her cheeks again. The only ones who _could _give her a lecture were the other Predators. She had tried to defy them all those years ago when she first became a Predator… but it did not work. They were the only ones who could fight back.

Which meant she had to follow through with the promise she made for Ludwig. Had she known he would be in Japan instead of here with his Knights then she wouldn't have complied. Tensions between the British Isles and the Chinese were tight at the moment. Something having to do with… well, she didn't listen to that boring lesson in class so she had no clue. And why bother when she could just cheat and ask Mars?

Anyways, she was stuck watching over Sirs Kayla and Trist of the Round Table. She couldn't leave them alone or else something bad would happen to them.

But Li Qin was a clever girl. After all, she had tricked an Original into absolute servitude. She deserves one of those pretty dragon wings like how Lulu and Issei had! But _apparently _Originals don't qualify. Only lesser Primordial beings.

It was bullshit. So what if she could fuck with the Laws as much as she wanted? She wanted the same thing her (acclaimed) husband had!

She shrugged, "I'll bring them with me."

[…Mistress, that's not…]

"That's not _what, _Mars?" she questioned as her grip on the Original tightened enough to make him squirm.

[…N-Nothing.]

"Good," she said with a cheery smile. "We're going to Japan!"

She was excited about seeing her husband. She had only met him once but had fallen in love at first sight like one of those fairy tales her grandfather had read her.

During the first year she had become a Predator, she too had been something of a superhero. She was revered as the Cardinal Saber, had flown around the world solving crimes and stopping bad guys to and fro. So what if her methods were eccentric? Yeah, most of the bad guys were killed by her but they were bad men (and women). She was still revered as a hero and worshiped far and wide.

…Until she got bored of it all and took up a new hobby. It lasted no longer than half a year but she remembered how much fun it had been. On occasion she would think about going back to do it all over again but never got around to it because she didn't have the drive as she did then. Once you obtain the ability to do _anything _you wanted nothing was ever special. There wasn't a challenge when with one wave of her magic wand she could make all the problems go away.

It was three years ago when she met _him. _She had, literally, a front row seat to the whole action. Sensing the cataclysmic event about to unfold in Central Asia, Li Qin manifested a fold-up chair and some popcorn. Yeah, she had planned on resetting things back to normal and resurrecting the people who were about to die; she just wanted to watch something she found entertaining. It's not every day a deific dragon awakens in a rampage.

_He _arrived before the dragon could break free from its prison within the mountains in a flash of crimson even she had difficulty keeping track of. He fell like a meteor from the heavens to strike the serpent's side fiercely enough to have it reeling back into its prison. They fought ferociously but he won in the end. The beast was defeated and forced back into its prison to sleep another thousand years.

She had seen the sheen of his crimson armor and his radiant wings of ethereal light. She had been captivated by his magnificence. And, better, he did not stay to be worshiped as some savior like how she had whenever a disaster struck. As quickly as he came, he vanished back into the heavens at a speed even she would have difficulty following.

"That one," she had told Mars on that starry night. "I want _him._"

She almost pursued. She wanted to know more about this individual. But why ask him when she had an instrument that knew everything at hand. So she asked Mars and he replied.

He was the newest of Predators. But he had been incomplete, according to Mars. He was among their ranks but did not possess their perks for the Ruler denied him.

In a matter of time she learned more about him through the media. The people referred to him as a 'red blur' with the way he appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as quickly. Eventually that became his namesake: the Red Blur. Following thereafter was an anime adaptation of some of his adventures.

She never had an interest in anime. Most of them were garbage, plus she could do practically everything in them so why watch a fantasy when she could live it? And even this **Dragon Knight Heroes **was just as trashy as the next (probably the worst she's ever seen). However, she was captivated with _him, _this Hyoudou Issei. She became something like a lowly American with how much Red Blur trinkets she collected. Her room was filled to the brim with magazines, posters, figurines, accessories, clothes, and so on and so forth of things relating to the Red Blur.

She even joined that fan club and became a Blurry.

For three years he roamed around the world, never stopping once to appeal to the people. He simply came, solved the crisis _without _bloodshed, and then left to repeat the cycle. He did this without ever asking for anything, without stopping to receive a thanks, without taking credit for his deeds. He was a true hero to the very end.

And then this _Kirsche _bitch shows up to steal him from her. Mars said that wasn't her real name and was a… Naka…. Naka… Naka-something Ayame. But as soon as this girl shows up, Issei reveals himself to _showboat, _and then is never seen again.

He just… stopped being a hero.

Li Qin knew why. Mars had kept her up to date with everything that had happened. The Fourth had killed that Ayame girl and brought Issei into a deep pit of despair. But she didn't understand. The Vampire was forced to flee in the end. And losing someone you love doesn't hurt at all. When her grandfather died she didn't feel any different. So why was Issei hurt? She didn't understand.

Mars had asked her to leave him be for some time. Again, she didn't understand but took his _advice. _But that had been a month ago. She missed watching his adventures. She missed _him._

Which was why she was going to Japan to convince her husband to snap out of it.

*Scene*

Issei was the luckiest man on the planet. Monday morning he woke up to both Asia _and _Rias in his arms. No, they didn't do the deed together, sadly, but it was still a great and wondrous feeling to wake up in the arms of the two he loved more than anything. That, and Rias continued to sleep in the nude so he got a full face of her perfect breasts.

He wondered if at some point in time they would be interested in a threesome. But he put that thought away for later. He didn't want to ruin anything or break them from their comfort zone. He didn't just get a single girl to go out with him. He got two of the finest beauties on the face of the planet! And not just to go out with him. They both were in love with him and were perfectly fine with sharing him so long as he loved them both equally.

He cried that night. They thought he had cried because he was burning his porn stash for their sake (Rias had let him grope her breasts as a reward). But nothing could be further from the truth. He had sacrificed his most holy of possessions for his gods of debauchery to enjoy in their outer realm. He prayed to them and made tribute.

For he had _finally _a harem!

Rias had also taken the liberty of moving in with him. Though she had one of the guest rooms as her own, she said she would be sleeping in his bed from now on. As great as it was, it was only a full-size bed and having the three of them together made for compact space. He wrapped his arms around them not just to bathe in their warmth but also because he had the feeling whoever was at the edge would fall off.

She said she would fix that problem as well as any others within his abode… provided she had his permission. He trusted her so he gave her the okay. But he also made mention to not change anything his parents left behind. He didn't know what sort of maintenance or furniture arrangements she would make.

If only he knew…

They were walking together on their way to school when Issei felt his constant awareness perk pick something up from around the corner. He felt someone was watching his every move but could not pick up any malevolent intentions. Plus, he felt nothing bad would happen to him or his girls… but he kept a vigilant eye anyways.

"Oh noooooooo…" came a monotone voice he found somewhat familiar but couldn't place where he had heard it. "I'm laaaaaatttteeeeee!"

As soon as the group turned around the corner, Issei put his hands up to make them stop. Morgan, one of Ludwig's Knights, came running by…

"Fweh?!" Issei sputtered at the sight of her.

…dressed in a high school girl uniform with a bag in her hand and buttered toast in her mouth.

Their eyes met when she passed him by. She stopped and gestured for him to come closer, to which he did against his better nature. She gestured to come closer and closer until making another move to have him stop. She even gave him a thumbs up before trotting back to wherever she came from.

"Oh nooooo…" she said again as she trotted towards him in the same skit. "I'm laaaaatttteeeeee!"

His only response was to move out of her way as she continued to drive herself forward. Apparently it was the wrong move as the rather dry Knight stopped in her tracks to give him a displeased look.

"Master Hyoudou," she said with surprising clarity despite the slice of bread between her teeth. "I need you to stay still for this part. When I run into you, you're supposed to fall down, grab onto my underwear—"

He sputtered again when she lifted her skirt to flash him to make her point.

"—and then take responsibility for your mistake and marry me."

"THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!" Issei shouted at the deranged Knight. "This isn't some shoujou manga!"

"Morgan-san, you can't!" Asia threw herself around Issei and embraced him. "I-Ise is mine! B-Buchou is enough, b-but I'm going to marry Ise!"

"You know…" came a quiet voice from around the corner. Appearing from whence Morgan came was the other Knight Lancelet. Accompanying her was Sherry. And, like Morgan, they were all dressed in school uniforms.

It was Sherry who had spoken. Her face was plastered in a scowl as she was glaring at Issei as though he were the lowliest of the low. "I was half-serious when I said you had slept with the abstinent nun. But I didn't think you'd actually do it."

It wasn't her words that hurt him. It was the look. It said she thought highly of him only for him to reveal his true colors and have her dreams shattered in an instant. Like a child who had just learned Santa Clause doesn't exist.

"Sherry, please be nice to Master Hyoudou," Lancelet lectured. "Whatever illicit behavior he partakes in is none of our concern."

He should be used to this kind of treatment. He had experienced it his entire life after all. Maybe because it was coming from foreigners who knew nothing about him did it hurt much more. Worse, he couldn't deny they were wrong either for coming to such conclusions.

"…Ise, who are these people?" Rias asked after watching the shenanigans for some time.

"Oh, how do you do?" Morgan's lazy eyes peered over towards Rias. She removed the bread from her mouth and gave an elegant curtsey. "I am Morgan, Ninth Seat of the Round Table."

Lancelet approached and gave a more knightly bow instead. "A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Madam Gremory. My master has told me of your fairness. I am Lancelet, Third Seat of the Round Table."

"…Sherry," the small girl greeted with only a small wave.

"Right, right, Rias," Issei waved to the three of them so to better explain. "They are... here accompanying the Dragon Slayer."

"Oh… I see." Rias gathered her bearings and gave an Eastern bow. "It's a… honor to meet you. I am Rias Gremory of the House of Gremory. Now, if I may be so bold as to ask, what _exactly _is your relationship with my Ise?"

"…Non-hostile?" Lancelet more so questioned than answered. "I am afraid while tensions between Master Hyoudou and Master Siegfried are high… there seems to be a ceasefire between them at this moment. We follow his command and it is to reinstate the bond between both parties to the best of our abilities."

"…Hence the attire?" Rias eyed both the grown women and their uniforms.

Lancelet's cheeks flushed as she tried to maintain her dignity. "A misconception, I assure you. W-We are wearing this as instructed by Master Siegfried as moral support—"

"Seduction tactic," Morgan corrected as she said such while directly looking at Issei. She had caught him eying her blouse. It was a size too small and was ready to burst open. In response, she puffed out her chest a little more. The buttons threatened to snap and he could catch a glimpse of her cleavage.

Asia puffed out her cheeks in jealousy. He pried his eyes away from the alluring Knight and squeezed Asia's hand a little tighter. It didn't do much to calm her down though.

"_Moral support_," Lancelet repeated with a tick-mark appearing on her brow. "For you see, today is Sherry's first day of school. We are escorting her and showing her there is nothing to be afraid of."

The small silver-haired girl looked away bashfully with a hint of red in her cheeks. She mumbled in barely audible volume, "…N-Not scared."

She didn't look at anyone as she fiddled with the straps of her backpack and kicked the ground with the tip of her shoe.

Asia had seen her insecurity and approached the girl. "You know… I've never been to school before coming to Japan. I grew up in a monastery where I had private tutors. I hardly knew any of the other children and could only speak with them when we were practicing our duties. When Buchou enrolled me to Kuoh… I was so nervous I couldn't leave the house.

"But I love every bit of it. I have so many friends and we all have so much fun together. A-And… Ise is always there for me whenever I need him. School is such a wonderful life, Sherry-san. It might be scary at first, but it's really a lot of fun."

"Eh?" Issei scratched his cheek. "Sherry-chan, you've never been to school before?"

Rias pulled on his cheek at his question. Some things are supposed to be approached _delicately._

Sherry did not show any signs of being insulted or brought back down into her insecurities. Rather, when he spoke to her, her eyes lit up solemnly because she had his attention. Like a schoolgirl over her crush. After all, Rias knew that look better than anyone.

Sherry shook her head, "No. I was… homeschooled by my aunt. My parents used to travel for business and took me with them when I was little. We were going to settle in a home here and get me enrolled but… they died. So I never got the chance."

Her eyes continued to bore into his, searching for something that might not be there yet still hoping to see it regardless. When he didn't respond other than to give a nod of understanding, she went on, "B-But my brother saved me! He took me out of that nasty house and adopted me! S-So it's thanks to him I got to meet Lulu-ji and can go to school. I don't hate him for anything, I promise! A-And… I miss my nii-chan… I hope he misses me just as much…"

Once again, her eyes looked at Issei with hope. She continued to search for a sign, for something for her to grasp at. But nothing was lighting up as Issei continued to stare at her in his usual dumbfounded expression.

"…Wait," Rias stepped forward to get a closer look at the girl. Her eyes, the shape of her face, her mannerisms, and her voice had been familiar to her. At first she thought nothing about it. After all, it _couldn't _have been _her. _She thought her mind was playing a trick on her. She had only met the girl briefly and that was only during her medical treatment. Rias had hardly any time to get to know her.

But… from her story…

Lancelet cleared her throat loud enough to get Rias' attention. Her eyes shifted in a way to tell Rias to stop from going any further. They shifted again from _Sherry _over towards Issei.

"…Rias? Is something wrong?" Issei asked with a blank look on his face. A _clueless _look on his face.

"…Oh you've got to be kidding me," she groaned and brought her hand over her face.

"Eh?!" Issei didn't know what caused her to react that way.

"Fine. I'll play along, but I'll warn you now… he's an idiot," Rias told the Knights and Sherry. "What you're trying to do is going to take a long time."

"…We know," they chorused in perfect sync.

"Oi!" barked Issei, who was being ignored.

"Ise, your King is giving you a command!" Rias turned and pointed her finger at his face. "I want you to accompany Ay— Sherry-chan to her school. I need you to play the part as her big brother and make sure she's safely escorted. I'm going to be upset if I learn you didn't treat her right."

"Seriously?! But… I… Y-Yes, Rias…"

"Good," Rias smiled as she flicked her hair back over her shoulder. "Don't worry, Asia and I will be waiting for you at the gates. Make sure to not keep us waiting."

Rias turned and gave Nakashima Ayame a wink. She had _many _questions for the girl but couldn't ask any of them at the moment. First, she needed Issei to figure out who _Sherry _was on his own. She honestly wishes she could be there when he does learn.

The girl gave her a small smile of appreciation. With that, Rias returned to her walk towards school with Asia following shortly after.

"Well then," Lancelet began and nudged Morgan. "Seeing as how Sherry is in most capable hands I believe we will be off. We've duties to attend to. By your leave, Master Hyoudou."

Lancelet bowed and stepped back. Morgan, however, pulled out a scrap of paper from her book bag, wrote a small message plus her phone number on it, and then sealed it with a lipstick kiss. She tucked it inside his breast pocket and gave him a wink before going back to Lancelet.

It wasn't even a wink! It was one of her creepy as hell singular blinks without emotion!

Issei scratched his head one last time before looking at the girl who was looking at him in return. Her eyes were full of expectation and he could hear her heart fluttering. The fear of school had washed away from her as she only had feelings of joy for being alone with him.

"Um… right…" However, he didn't know how to treat this girl. It felt like his master had just dumped her on him. But Rias wouldn't do something like that without reason… right? "Shall we go then? Which way is your middle school?"

"…I'm still in grade school," she replied after giving a short blink.

He sputtered, _again. _He would not deny this whole time he had been secretly checking her out. But to find out she was a _grade schooler_?! He had been wrong. He didn't think she was _slightly _younger than Koneko. Her height really threw him off as she was just as tall as Asia; hell, she was almost at his height. It added a few years to her appearance.

"Ah… Sherry-chan… how old are you exactly?" he ended up asking.

There was another pause as she stared at him. Her eyes narrowed. She _knew _he had been undressing her. "…You lolicon."

"I'M NOT A PEDOPHILE!" he ended up shouting upon instinct. It had been a natural reaction. But this reaction got him to tense. A wound in his heart had reopened as he had shared moments like these with the one he called sister. He couldn't look at Sherry.

Her hand slid through his as she tugged at him to follow down the road. "It's all right. You're already a despicable person so there's nothing you can do to lower my opinion of you, Ise-nii."

He wanted to cry. He had been right. This girl had thought he was the lowliest of lows right off the bat.

He had been so distraught he had missed the nickname she gave him.

It didn't matter. Nakashima— no, _Hyoudou _Ayame was happy. Even if Issei was the biggest idiot equaling heaven, he was still her dear brother. He was… different, but he was still the same simultaneously. He was still the same person she remembered, albeit with a few obscurities that weren't there before. And there were signs that he had missed her and was still grieving over her. While she was sad for him, she was also happy to know he loved her this much.

She could play the part as Sherry a little longer.

*Scene*

"What the—?!"

"It's so bright!"

"My eyes! I can't see!"

"Look away before it's too late!"

Issei… had little to no idea why his classmates had reacted this way. He had been coming to class all last week hand in hand with Asia. Sure, at first the guys tackled him to the floor while the girls tried to 'rescue' Asia from his clutches. But that misunderstanding was quickly corrected thanks to Asia's pure heart. She defended him and it brought tears to his eyes.

Today wasn't any different. As usual, they walked together into the classroom. The class would either glare daggers at him or he would be ambushed by those two schmucks he called _friends_ and they would try to beat the crap out of him for dating Asia. Instead, they walked into a class full of students who couldn't stare at the couple for longer than a few seconds.

…Because Asia was _beaming _with joy. And why shouldn't she be? She had gone on a date, had received the greatest of blessings, and had made love all to the same man she had fallen in love with within the same day. She was at the pinnacle peak of bliss!

So much so when the class saw her smiling _none _could look at her else have their eyes burnt out.

Well, whatever. Issei welcomed the change of pace. It beat getting harassed and interrogated as to why Asia was dating him. He separated from her to go to his seat by the window and she to chat with the group of girls she had gotten close to. Immediately they surrounded her and bombarded her with questions. But Asia wasn't intimidated; rather, she was just as absorbed by them as they were with her as she told _things._

His instincts flared. But he didn't need them to know what was to come next.

"ISSEI YOU BASTARD!" shouted his fellow perverts, Motohama and Matsuda, as they tried ambushing him _again._

Issei's response was to open the window, trip them both, and let gravity do the rest. Before he could hear their screams and splat on the unforgiving ground _two stories _below, he shut the window and took his seat.

He frowned. The chiming of the bell overpowered the climatic crunching of bones meeting cement paving. While it was cruel to throw his brothers in arms out the window, he knew they would live through it. The years of _war _had made them tough. Due to a certain skirmish in their first year at Kuoh, they were forced to leap from the roof of the school. They lived. Perverts are nearly invincible and only grow more powerful the greater the hardship.

"Hellloooooooo everybody~"

How many times can he sputter within the hour? He expected it to be another dull and boring lesson with Takahashi-sensei, but instead, to his great disbelief, _Serafall Leviathan _steps through the sliding doors and skids across the floor.

She twirled before landing and struck a pose. "I am Serafall Leviathan and I will be your new homeroom teacher for the remainder of your school year!"

Quickly, in a flash that shouldn't be humanly possible, she wrote her name on the blackboard in both katakana and English… and Devil alphabet.

"Please take good care of me—"

The door slammed open. Issei sputtered _again. _Was this seriously happening?!

"Serafall, what are you doing in my class?" Ludwig von Siegfried strolled in with his cane supporting his right leg. He was dressed in a brown coat with a matching vest and bowtie. Giving a heavy sigh, he continued, "There is no homeroom session today. That won't be until Wednesday."

The class was silent as they watched the two as if it were some skit.

Serafall waved it off, "I know, I know. But I couldn't wait! They were going to make me sit in a cubicle all day doing boring paperwork. My fans need to see me! I need to show my So-tan I _am _competent enough to be a teacher!"

Apparently Sona disproved of Serafall being here. Issei didn't know why. They were sisters, right? Well, then again, Sona never once mentioned Serafall to him. Ever.

"The first step in getting recognition is starting with the tasks first handed to you," Ludwig recited almost like a creed. He lifted the small Devil from the back of her collar and carried her over towards the door. "_Perhaps _you should start there."

Serafall squirmed to break free from him. "Eh! Ziggy-chan, you can't do this to me! I will remember this and there will be a thousand deaths with your name written all over—"

He didn't listen as he tossed her out the door, shut it, and locked it. Serafall beat against the door to try and open it. Her shouts could be heard from the other side. They were promises of dead. Such cruel, gruesomely detailed, and graphically realistic promises of death.

"Now then," Ludwig gave a heavy sigh as he wiped his brow with a napkin within his coat pocket. He moved in front of the class and leaned against the desk, letting his leg rest. "Good morning, class. My name is Ludwig von Siegfried and I will be your mathematics teacher for… an undetermined amount of time. I am also the substitute home economics instructor since Madame Tsukiya had gone into labor just this weekend."

The girls squealed at the news of the home-ec teacher about to have her baby. Issei's brow twitched. Ludwig had said so as a diversion for the class to forget his little moment with Serafall.

Other students put up their hand to ask questions. Ludwig pointed his cane towards the first who lifted their hand. "Please recite your name first. I would like to remember them as quickly as possible."

The young man nodded. "Um… Motono Kenchi. Your accent sounds very British, sensei. Are you by chance _the _Ludwig von Siegfried?"

Issei blinked. Was Ludwig famous or something?

"Good Monono," he repeated the name so to be familiar with it. "I am the only Ludwig von Siegfried unless there is another in the world somewhere out there I'm not aware of. I… suppose you are referring to my title. Yes, I am the Knight of Honor to Her Highness, Queen Elizabeth XXIII of the British Isles."

Hands shot up once again. Ludwig picked a young girl this time.

She stood and recited, "Kazehana Sakura. A-Aren't you the Siege Perilous of Her Majesty's Knights of the Round Table? Why are you taking a teaching position on the other side of the planet?"

"Fair Kazehana," he repeated her name. The honorific he gave her made her blush. "I am not a member of the Round. I've trained them. Now, there has never been a Siege Perilous since the Round had been established in 1886. In regards to my choice in career… I find teaching to be enlightening. As I'm on vacation at the moment I figured I'd make well of my time to be productive. Now, one more question before we begin the day."

"I have a question," Issei said aloud as he tapped his fingers against his desk. His brow was twitching uncontrollably.

Some of the students glared at him while others tried to get Ludwig's attention. But in the end, Ludwig pointed his cane at Issei.

"Yes, Master Hyoudou? What can I do for you?"

Students had noticed the shift in tone plus the different title he had given Issei. Murmurs went around the room as everyone looked at Issei. It didn't change how they were glaring at him angrily, however.

"…You know what. Never mind," Issei chose instead to stare out the window. It got an angry reaction out of the rest of the students with a sympathetic look from Asia.

"Settle down, everyone," Ludwig stood fully and cycled around the desk to reach the chalkboard. No one had seen he had used a spell to erase Serafall's writing as he began to write a few supplementary equations on the board. "Now let us begin. I am going to see how far you are within this year and go from there. Today shall be a lax day. So please complete these problems to the best of your abilities and we will go over them before class ends. If you have any questions relating to them then please come up to the desk and…"

*Scene*

"Do tell me," Rias said from her desk within the clubroom. "How is it you two know each other?"

The Occult Research Club had gathered during lunch. Issei had gone to ask if Rias knew Ludwig was a teacher but come to his surprise both the Second Predator and Serafall had arrived before him. Akeno was already serving them tea; a friendly smile towards Serafall and a bitter one towards Ludwig. It was actually twice as fierce as the one she had given Raizer. Issei could almost grasp the level of malevolence she was directing towards the Dragon Slayer.

Everyone was in their usual place on the couches, with Akeno on standby in the back and Rias at her desk. It was a novel thought how guests always sat on the opposite couch before any of the Occult members took their seats.

The only one not present would be Yuuto. He either didn't get the message or was too busy doing something for lunch. He might have had daily duties.

"Ziggy-chan and I go waaaaaay back~" Serafall gave her cheery response as she lightly tapped one of Ludwig's legs. "As far back as when he was German!"

"I _am _still German," Ludwig laughed, bringing giggles out of Serafall as though it were a secret joke between the two. Perhaps it was. "Yes, well, during the Second World War I summoned Serafall to assist me in a mission that would have cost the lives of thousands if I had gone alone. Though I acquired my Sorcery I had yet to achieve the rank of Predator. I was young, naïve, foolish, and extraordinarily inexperienced."

"Yup, yup," Serafall added her two cents. "Ziggy-chan was supposed to die as a part of a coup if I hadn't been there. His family had sold him out to the Nazis as a spy to the Alliance. He was ordered into a suicide mission but we got out of there just peachy~"

Unbelievably, they fist-bumped another.

"Took me fifty—"

"Sixty-two," Serafall said and sipped her tea nonchalantly. "Just letting you know."

"Yes, yes," Ludwig, of all things, rolled his eyes. "It took me sixty-two years for me to pay for that contract. I simply had to wait for the technology of the world to catch up to what she asked for. It would have been much sooner if she didn't change her demand at the last minute."

Suddenly there was a magic wand in her grasp. It was pink, about as long as her forearm, and had a crystal star tip that radiated every color of the rainbow. "Behold my scepter and bow before the great Magical Girl Levia-tan!"

Ludwig von Siegfried had created her a magical wand. When she waved it, a trail of rainbow ribbons and chains of stardust followed behind.

"But enough reminiscing on our days of jolly cooperation," the Dragon Slayer's eyes shifted into a sharp gaze as his attention turned towards Issei. "Let us return to your question this morning, shall we?"

"…Why are you here?" Issei asked.

Ludwig nodded and placed his tea down. He put his cane in front of him with both his hands resting at the top as he leaned forward. It wasn't missed how Issei tensed and eyes flickered towards the wooden instrument. "I shall repeat it as many times as I must, Master Hyoudou. I am here to patch up the relations you and I once had. I was once your mentor and could openly say without shame to be your friend."

"…I'm not interested. Go away," he returned. "Yeah, I get it. You were under orders from your queen to stay out of it. I know you wanted to stop it. I've let you stay in the city because of that. But don't try to sneak your way in here thinking we can be… _friends _again."

Ludwig gave a sigh as he tapped the crystal head of his cane. "…That reminds me. I've heard from Morgan and Lancelet you walked little Sherry to her first class. Do tell me how that went."

"Don't change the subject."

"But I'm not," Ludwig countered. "I told you she is a gift from me to you. It has always been my plan to retrieve her for you. Have you, by chance, noticed anything special about her?"

"_You _were the one who brought her…?" Rias let the question die down else reveal too much in front of Issei.

Serafall's eyes narrowed. "_So. _It was _you. _You're the reason why Hades has been harassing us lately."

"I am responsible for all of these things and fully accept them," Ludwig stated.

Serafall placed her tea down beside his and crossed her legs. Her cheerfulness was gone. "Hades has sent multiple requests to dispatch his Reapers to several regions in Japan. Some of the overseers have complied— we believe they have been bribed. You said you were in China, correct? Well, your tactic didn't work. Hades is still looking for his lost soul in Japan. And considering _who _it is…"

Her eyes traced over towards Issei.

"…I did not know my plan was folly before it could begin," Ludwig sighed. "Strange, usually the diversion tactic always works. There's no point in keeping Kayla and Trist under the care of the Valkyrie then. Lord knows that child will lose her patience before the end of the week and abandon them."

"Can either of you tell me what's going on?" Issei asked.

Their heads swiveled around and blinked. They had forgotten their purpose for being here. Serafall jabbed Ludwig in the ribs with her elbow for him to explain.

"Yes, well, I had offered Vorpal to Hades in exchange for a soul. As it turns out, I didn't need to and went on my merry way. Hades didn't very much like that."

Issei had difficulty following through with what Ludwig was saying particularly because the Dragon Slayer was intentionally leaving out other valuable information. But he did understand something. "You gave me Vorpal so that Hades couldn't get his hands on it?"

"I would have been more than capable of keeping it from him," Ludwig bickered back. "I gave it to you so _Rolan _would not get his hands on it. He is the Knight of Honor to the Princess. She can convince her mother for almost anything. As I am the Knight of Honor to Her Majesty the Queen can order me to hand it over to the Princess' Knight of Honor, _Rolan! _I told you, in the hands of a capable individual Vorpal can rise their status to that of a Predator. But… should it fall into the hands of another Predator… it is beyond my reach to retrieve."

"…That still doesn't excuse you've invited Hades to chase after Ise," Rias spoke up.

"And that," Ludwig said with enthusiasm as he stamped his cane back down, "is why I am still here in your country. I clean up my messes. He's already sent scouts within your city and I've removed them. You never would have known— no, you _didn't _know by looking at your face. Becoming a teacher was not an on the whim decision."

"It sounds like a lot of problems for a _gift,_" Issei rebuked. "Look, I'm sure Sherry is a nice girl, but I told you the reason why I can't accept her. Plus, she told me she's still waiting for her brother to get her. I'm guessing the guy's still alive, right?"

There was a universal sigh going around the room. Issei's head spun around to find _everyone _was giving him a look that would have made Ayame proud. The kind of look that questioned his intelligence.

"Buchou…" Asia lifted her hand. "Can't we just—"

"No," she refused before the question could finish.

Koneko, who had been quietly munching on her lunch the whole time, had placed her box down to ask her own question.

"No," Rias shot it down before the white-haired girl could so much as speak.

Akeno didn't even try. Besides, Rias was already looking at her to see if she was going to.

Serafall picked up the conversation. "Why don't we talk about why we are _really _here? I didn't just register myself as a teacher so I could get closer to my So-tan, I'll have you know! I'm here to give you instruction towards the more advanced of Devil matters that will be needed in your office. Having that said, I am here right now to see how you are to settle this matter. Dragoon-chan, no, Demon Lord Hyoudou, Ludwig von Siegfried has requested to be your first client.

"I have listened to his request and have decided this is something you cannot refuse. To do so will result in the termination of your evaluation process. You will have to start from the beginning if you want to promote just like everybody else.

"But… Ise-chan… please accept. Please," she added with a voice filled with hope.

His hands clenched into fists. His eyes turned green as his killing intent was leaking. He opened his mouth to refuse even if it meant starting at the very bottom.

"Before you refuse," Ludwig pulled out his smartphone from his coat pocket, accessed a few buttons, and then slid it across the table. "Let me first tell you what the payment is. All the information I have in regards to _Sir _Chase Lance Rolan. All the information you will need to save your friend."

Heads of the Gremory peerage turned towards another to see if any of them knew what Ludwig was talking about. None of them had a clue and so turned back towards Issei to see his decision.

The Dragoon Predator was silent. He stared at the phone without making a move. He was as still as a statue, not even the sign of breathing was visible. All of his focus was upon the cellular device. No one could tell what he was thinking.

"…What's the job?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"One week," Ludwig responded in a more relaxed tone. He sat back and placed his cane on his lap. "I want you to give Sherry a chance. I only ask for her to spend one week with you. You can decide what to do with her afterwards. That's all I'm asking for. Not as Ludwig von Siegfried, not as Second Predator; I am asking for a girl who needs something I cannot provide her with. One week is a small price to pay, isn't it?"

Issei's fists were opening and closing as he was conflicted with his emotions. He did not know the identity of Sherry and so could not understand the purpose of this request. All he saw was a girl who was identical to his dead sister in every way. He would forever see Ayame within her and couldn't stand the sight of her for it. He knew it was unfair to her but he couldn't fight the feeling.

Asia went to place her hand on top of Issei's for support. But Koneko stopped her. With one glance and a shake of her head, a whole conversation was made between the two of them. Issei needed to make this decision on his own. As Asia looked around the room, the others had the same feeling to comfort him but were holding their selves back.

"…Leviathan-sama," Issei began slowly, still going over his thoughts as his next words were incomplete. "If I am going to challenge Rolan… I am going to need the full authority as a Demon Lord. I can already see him weaseling his way out by using that and his status as King Oberon as an excuse. What do I need to do to make it effective immediately? We have less than a week at the least by what he last said to Sona."

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. But nobody moved.

"…What about Sona?" Rias more demanded than asked. "What is that _thing _up to this time?"

"Hyoudou-chan," Serafall leaned forward and talked sternly. "I understand what you mean. But understand what the job comes with. The evaluation was set to last as long as your high school career, maybe even extending into your college life. We had been prepared to leave you alone to enjoy your youth while you still had it.

"I can… make a false report saying you have passed and are deemed worthy of your title. But that means from this point on you _cannot _afford to make a mistake. What you have right now… that will go away once you take office. You will be swept away in your duties as Demon Lord. Your free time will be limited as you will find things you once took granted daily become a once-a-year rarity. And your friends… and the people with you right now today… you'll rarely see them.

"Think carefully before you ask me again."

The room was silent as they all understood what this meant. If Issei were to follow through with what plan he had in mind, he would be leaving the Gremory peerage. He would be put to work as Demon Lord, to coordinate all affairs going on within Japan. His life as a normal teenage boy would be over, what fragment of it was left anyways. All that would be left of him would be duty. A duty to the people he never swore an oath for. A duty to a system he didn't care much for.

But a sacrifice to someone he loved.

"…I know," he said with a heavy heart but in a voice of steel. "I know what's going to happen. But I refuse for Rolan to win. I refuse to hand Sona over to him. I'm tired of him taking things from me. I'm tired of my friends getting hurt because I couldn't fight back. If it means I have to give up my freedom then fine! If this is the best way I can protect the ones I love then so be it."

Akeno had dropped her tray. She had to turn away as she hid away her tears from him. She tried to quiet her sobbing by placing a hand over her mouth but the sounds still escaped. Koneko couldn't finish her meal. She placed the box down and let her hands rest on her lap. Her eyes stared down at them without any focus.

Asia couldn't understand the political significance of Issei's choice. However, she understood it meant he would be away from her for great deals of time. It hurt her knowing he wouldn't be around for the rest of her high school life like she had dreamed.

Rias kept her hands clasped on the desk while she tried and failed to restrain her anger. She was not angry at Issei, not in the slightest. She was angry at the Sixth Predator for pushing Issei into making this decision.

"…Very well," Serafall said in a low and heavy voice. "I will place you in the archives. From this point on you are the official Demon Lord. For the other requirements… I will… have to list Sona as your choice in wife."

"What?!" Rias burst out of her seat. "_That's _what this is about?! When did… _how _did…? No, forget it. I-Ise, there has to be another way to save Sona if Rolan is planning on marrying her. Leviathan-sama, isn't there anything you can do? As the head of foreign affairs can't you refuse the engagement?"

Serafall shook her head. "I've been through the legal arguments with him ever since he challenged Sona. Everything he has done has been legal. I have no right to say anything against it. And even if I did, it would cause unrest against all the other Devils who were under the same circumstances. They would use the excuse I had broken the laws we made for the sake of my sister. Obi— _Rolan _was very thorough in his planning.

"But…" her eyes flashed towards Issei with a spark of fire. "If someone who had the same interest and a ground to argue with approached, such as _someone _who had overcome Sona's requirements for marriage, then he will have no choice but to accept a challenge. Now, this can't be any Low-class Devil else he would use his status as King Oberon to reject it. This will need to be a kings' game. From one ruler to another. Therefore, the ruler of the Fair Folk against the one ruling over Japan…"

"…A Demon Lord," Rias sat down as she now understood the plan.

"I had always planned on doing this," Issei said as he reached for the phone still displaying Rolan's information. "But I lacked the resources, the time, and the information to fight him with."

He closed his eyes as he focused on his instincts. He ran a simulator in his head if he were to approach Rolan and challenge him. The last time he had done so his instincts screamed at him to not do it; that the end result would leave him in a critical state.

Now… his instincts were telling him this would result in a mutual destruction.

He would take that over absolute defeat.

"But now I have everything I need."

*Scene*

Sona would _love _for the day to be over already. It was Wednesday night. Instead of accepting contracts for the evening as was scheduled, her entire peerage was gathered around in the student council office. The only one who knew what was going on would be Tsubaki, who looked just as uneasy as Sona had. Her peerage had asked a number of times what was wrong; a clear sign she was losing her fortitude if her emotions were showing.

"Good evening, Madam Sitri," the voice of her ire appeared out of a black portal that had ripped through space itself. Sixth Predator Chase Lance Rolan stepped into the land of the Rising Sun in a black suit with an icy blue tie. His permanent scowl was even more creased as it had ever been.

"…Rolan," Sona said as she returned with her own scowl.

"…Kaichou, who is this?" Saji stepped up to block Rolan's path.

"Saji, for the better of your safety, _do not _under any circumstances say or do anything for the remainder of this meeting," Sona instructed in a tone that left no room for argument. "If you do, and if you live through this, you will be punished severely. Do you understand?"

Saji turned to look at her. He wanted to argue; he was about to, but one look at her blazing eyes told him it would be best not to. He backed away and returned to the same position he had been instructed to stand before.

Rolan approached her desk without saying another word to anybody let alone looking at them. From the inside of his pocket he pulled out a scroll and unrolled it to place it on her desk for her to see. "This is the registry. It has the seal of the House of Rolan and the House of Sitri and the required signatures… All that is needed is yours. The ceremony will take place in two weeks' time from today's date."

He stepped back to give her space as he waited patiently for her signature. Heads turned to look at another in both shock and horror. They knew what this meant. Saji once again took a step forward to argue, but a strong grip from the Queen held him back. When he opened his mouth to protest, she gave him a glare set for the ages that made him realize how out of line he was.

"Fifteen minutes," Rolan said as he eyed the clock on the wall. "I won't stay in this country any longer than that. That is the final limit I am giving you. Choose wisely."

A second chance. As if it were some act of mercy he was granting her.

Some mercy. To refuse would mean Issei would be a victim once again. Her peerage would be disbanded and those not claimed by other Devils would be treated as Strays. She had a duty as a King to make sure to protect them by any means.

Her hand was shaking from her subconscious by the time she picked up the pen. She moved her way towards the bottom of the document and pressed the ballpoint at the required line…

The door slammed open.

"…Really?" Rolan said in a dry tone of disbelief.

There stood Serafall Leviathan and at her side was Hyoudou Issei. Both of them looked ready to draw blood with the way they both glared at Rolan.

Issei approached. His eyes glowed green with draconian energies, barely contained in a small veil that was his body. "King Oberon…"

His voice carried authority. Rolan's eyes narrowed not in curiosity, but from _knowing _what Issei was about to do. The fact Serafall was present had told him everything.

"I, Demon Lord Hyoudou Issei, do hereby challenge you to a Rating Game for the hand of Sona Sitri!"

* * *

**Servant of Oppai**

**Part 2**

It was difficult keeping the brat alive having to dodge a plethora of prana explosions from a witch who had seemingly endless supplies of it while keeping him tucked under one arm. But Archer had been under worse conditions. Caster was a pushover compared to the many others he had faced as a hero; and therefore but a speck compared to the atrocities he had to face as a Counter Guardian.

But there was a problem. He was demoted of most of his perks as a Counter Guardian. He wasn't even a full-fledged Heroic Spirit. He was summoned to this Grail War as a _Servant. _He was barely one-tenth of his full potential as compared to being a defender of the planet fueled by the essence of Alaya. Caster was in the same boat, so to speak, and was just as powerful as he was at the moment.

Archer was crafty and could strategize against forces _leagues _more powerful than him. But Caster was just the same. She was conniving and knew how people thought from her experience. She was Medea of Colchis, a treacherous woman who had been betrayed numerous times and had betrayed just the same. She knew people inside and out.

Which was why she was able to dodge the attack he put so much effort into hiding several steps ago. She had seen it coming even if she did not have any visuals on Kanshou and Bakuya flying through the air.

She had trapped him in a suppressing spell. He couldn't move an inch. He cursed himself; the projectiles of his favored Noble Phantasms were going to be his critical moment. But she had dodged it. And now there was no way he could dodge her attack.

"It was a good chase, but hopeless in the end," she cackled as she conjured several A-rank prana orbs. They always had to have a moment to gloat. It was some villain's tradition. "I had hoped you would have joined me… but it would seem that's not the case. Farewell, Archer."

A meteor fell from the sky, shattered through the bounded field around all of Ryoudouji, and crashed directly in front of Archer's prison. Wings fluttered, blowing away the dust to reveal a man standing tall donned entirely out of draconian crimson armor. His eyes widened. He had seen this armor before. He had fought against these beasts countless times as a Counter Guardian.

This was the Red Dragon Emperor. No, as the memories rushed through his head and a fog from his summoning had been lifted. This wasn't just any Red Dragon Emperor. This was the greatest of them all. This was the vessel of the Boosted Gear who had used his Sacred Gear for the sole purpose of heroism. This was the Red Blur, the hero he had driven himself to become when he was once alive.

Oh God… the memories of his Grail War were coming back… those tramatizing memories when the idealism Kiritsugu had shared on what it meant to be a hero had been shattered by _this _specific Servant.

"Seriously!" the Red Blur swiveled around to point at Archer. "This is, what, the fifth time I've had to come to save your sorry ass?! Stop getting into trouble dammit! How am I supposed to enjoy my summoner's oppai if you wind up dead?! Wait a… Hey, Shirou-san, did you get taller somehow?"

Though Archer was still sealed within the dimensional binding spell, as it was designed to stop him from moving _period, _he still managed to bring his palm to his face from the sheer idiocy of Servant Rider's witlessness. The headache was coming back. Oh how he remembered the constant migraine he had whenever the Rider showed up. It was _all _coming back to him.

"Eh?" Issei, meanwhile, blinked behind his armor as he leaned over slightly to peer around the Archer. His senses picked up _two _Emiya Shirous within the same vicinity. He had thought it was going out of whack (the World tends to screw with him every now and then) but apparently this wasn't the case. There _were _two Shirous. One he was familiar with and had saved throughout the week of the Grail War and this new taller version. The World was still telling him they were both Emiya Shirou. It didn't make sense to him.

"Wait…" he bowed his head and wrapped his claws around his chin in thought. "Does that mean I have to save them both? Sakura-chan didn't specify which one… Does that mean I get to charge her double?! I get to play with her oppai twice as—"

What he had said next was cut off as Caster had recovered from his intervention and blasted him with her barrage of prana cannons. The blast shook the earth and created a large dust cloud. Shrapnel and molten rock flew everywhere. The human Shirou was knocked back further away from the concussive force.

"—and then bury my face in them?!"

However, the Rider had been far too consumed with his thoughts to have noticed the attacks coming onto him. His armor had taken damage with it chipping everywhere. But with a faint red light did it repair itself back to peak condition. Nothing changed as he continued to ramble to himself.

"Impossible," Caster sneered from her spot in the sky. "You are the Servant Rider, are you not? You should be weakened when you traveled through the bounded field! How can you still have such Magic Resistance against my attacks?"

His head snapped around to gaze up at Caster floating up above. Issei had been snapped out of his philosophical musings because of the sound of her voice. "Oooo! Another bishoujou-sama! She reminds me of the type that lost her husband some time ago and is desperate to look for a new love but is too scared to open her heart to just anyone. Don't worry bishoujou-sama! Hyoudou Issei will never betray—"

In a fit of rage, because he chose words that struck a chord of her heartstring, she blasted him with everything she had. A barrage twice as fierce plowed down in a continuous rain that lasted ten seconds. The entirety of the temple grounds had reshaped by the time she was done.

She panted from exhaustion and anger. Her floatation spell lowered her closer to the ground. She felt ready to collapse.

Once again, his wings fluttered to blow away the dust. He stood without a scratch this time. Not a single spell had been able to do any damage as it had once before. Since he had taken the full brunt of her first strike and regrew his armored scales, he had gained resistance to her attacks. Now there was nothing she could do to hurt him.

"You know…" Issei scratched the back of his helm due to a habit from him scratching his head. "I really don't like fighting girls. Especially hot babes with really nice oppai! I just can't do it. I'm afraid I'm going to hurt their lovely breasts and I'll never be able to forgive myself for it. I… I can't become such a monster that hurts breasts."

He had made himself sad… somehow. From the untouched spot he had been standing on, he crouched into the fetal position and began to draw symbols onto the ground. They could hear him sobbing behind the helm.

"…Is that what you most desire?" Caster threw aside her previous ire against him when she saw him as a potential piece instead. He was a powerful Servant from what she could tell, one who could still be formidable despite the effects of the bounded field lowering his stats by a full rank. "Then why not join sides with me? Join me and I will grant your wish. All the women you desire can be yours to do with as you please."

Shirou watched in horror as his hero lifted his head to look at Caster. He was considering her proposal. "Reddobura-dono, don't listen to her!"

Alas, he took her hand when she extended it towards him. They stood together, hands clasped together in unified agreement.

Or so it had seemed.

A magic circled appeared between their grasp. It was not one of Caster's. Her hand flicked away from his as she used a quick spell to remove it. However, the damage had already been done.

Issei snapped his fingers. The command activated.

Her glove tore to shreds and the tearing mystery quickly spread up her arm. She had no clue what sort of magic this was but wouldn't risk it reaching anywhere close to her head or heart. With a quick incantation from her Divine Words, the spell stopped right before it began to climb up her shoulder.

"…Well that's no fair," Issei whined. But he didn't give up. No. He had a plan and he was going to make it happen. Period!

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"

Power shook _everything _as his potential doubled over and over again for as long as he shouted. As one who had absolute control over the Boosted Gear, he didn't need to wait those annoying ten seconds or incant the command [Boost] every time he wanted to activate its ability. Technically, he didn't need to do anything other than will himself stronger. But he did so anyways _because he can._

A storm of prana swept throughout the area as surges of prana lightning tore the ground and nearby buildings. Caster was thrown away from the initial explosion of his rapid increase. Archer's prison came crumbling down as Issei's presence overbore it. And Shirou was forced to lay flat on the ground as an immense weight began to crush him.

However, Issei withdrew his power, compressed it, and molded it into his hand. His gauntlet glowed in a red light that rivaled the radiance of the sun.

Caster wove a spell of flight. She could not afford to get hit by such a gathering of prana. That much energy would outright destroy her. It rivaled— nay, _surpassed _some of the Authorities of the gods she had seen bring civilizations to their knees. Such power was beyond her and yet it was in the hands of a Servant. What sort of monster was summoned into this Grail War?!

She blinked. No matter how fast she flew, he was faster for he was already directly in front of her in a flash. She screamed as his hand was shoved forward and made contact over her right breast.

He squeezed it once.

In a voice of _power, _one not even the gods of her time could match, he invoked the full wrath of his spell. **"Booster overdrive maximum SUPREME LOVE OF OPPAI ULTIMATE DRESS BREAK!"**

There was a singular noise. A… popping noise, almost akin to a bubble bursting when bathing. A noise so silent even the most sensitive of hearing could easily miss it. But Caster had heard it. She did not know what the sound was until a second had passed and she realized she was still alive.

She was naked. His hand was still wrapped over her right breast and _squeezing _repeatedly.

"Bishoujou-sama," she could hear him _drooling _inside his armor. "These are some high-grade oppai. By the texture, the skin tone, the nipple color, and the firmness… Royalty? At least belonging to a princess. I estimate around… Ancient Greece era?"

"W-W-W-W-WHAT IS THIS?!" she shouted through a mixture of emotions.

THAT was his spell?! The power that could make _gods _bow in fealty and he had used it to tear apart her _clothes?!_

She broke free from her grasp and used another spell to soften her landing. She won't be played for a fool by the likes of this imbecilic Servant.

With another weave, she drew in the shadows to remake her fabrics. She will make this Servant pay for his—

_Pop._

She blinked as a draft blew by. She peered down only to find her spell had failed her. Her clothes had simply vanished. No matter. She brought the shadows back to wrap around her body.

_Pop._

As soon as they began to form into any sense of texture fabric… they vanished. Yet she tried again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" she shrieked and demanded an explanation of the Servant who had casted this unbreakable curse upon her. Her magic could not detect anything affecting her. For all she knew it couldn't have been any magecraft she was familiar with. It could have been a work of True Magic or… perhaps… an Authority itself.

The way he looked down at her, the way he examined every aspect of her body down the tiniest detail… she had the need to cover herself with _something. _Her arms. She wrapped her arms around herself and crossed her legs. No. She could still feel his eyes peering through her. Nothing she did was working as he was looking at her _everything _no matter how much she hid. She suddenly felt small. Weak. Hopeless.

There was nothing she could do to protect herself from this demon.

She began to cry.

"I… I… I can't marry Souichirou-sama now!"

"RIIIIIIIIDDDDDEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!"

Issei spun on his heels as he felt the heavenly presence that was the bane of all Devils appear at the gates of the temple. Saber stood with blood coating her armor and dripping down her Excalibur. It looked like she had been through a mean fight and had barely succeeded in gaining victory.

His instincts were telling him she had won because she suddenly had the drive to reach the temple at all costs. That she had sensed his presence and had rushed to face him in battle for the fifth time. Ever since he had first met her she had been after him for blood.

And he still didn't know why!

"Oh shit, it's you!" Issei began to panic. No good ever happens whenever Saber arrives.

She kicked off the ground with a Prana Burst, Excalibur radiating with a light equaling the first rays of the sunrise.

Issei activated his Gift of Flight and was gone before she could reach him.

"I don't know which one of you I'm supposed to save so I'm just grabbing you both!"

"Hey wait! Not again!"

"I don't need your help!"

…But not without taking both Shirou and Archer with him. He fired up into the night sky like a crimson comet before disappearing.

…Leaving Saber alone once again with yet another victim of the perverted Servant.

*Scene*

"So, Ise-san, who's your Master exactly?" Emiya Shirou asked the Rider Servant as they sat together by the dining table on a weekend morning. Saber was, once again, running amok around the city looking for Issei, forgoing the duties she had sworn as Shirou's Servant all in the name of her justice (vengeance). She had managed to make a pact with Ilya and Rin for this sole purpose.

Ah. Shirou will never forget the day Issei used his Dress Break on Rin. It didn't feel right making the school idol angry like that through barely withheld tears, but Shirou could never deny the sight of a naked Rin was one to return to in his head every so often. And Issei had left her stockings attached. Shirou didn't know why, but that just added a flare to the whole appearance. The perverted dragon Servant had given him a long explanation on it, but it wasn't Shirou's field of expertise so he couldn't follow.

Issei had shown up not too long ago to check on Shirou's wellbeing… and to make sure he hadn't gotten into another problem.

"You know I can't tell you," Issei replied as he sipped some of the tea Shirou had served. "My summoner asked me to not tell you. Client confidentiality is also something I have to respect. Sorry, Shirou-san."

Shirou had formed an interesting relationship with the Servant. Issei showed up every now and then to check on Shirou, sometimes lounge around and freeload, and sometimes to just hang out with Shirou whenever he said his Master was busy with errands. In return, Shirou put up with his perversions and fed him— it was a wonder who could eat more, Issei or Saber. And Shirou would always ask him things relating to his life as the Red Blur hero, to which Issei always replied with utmost patience.

"But what I don't get is…" and this was something Shirou had asked a number of times and still didn't get it. "You said your wish was to… grope her breasts? Why would you risk your life for something like that?"

And for the same amount of times, Issei looked at Shirou as if he had just asked the most basic of questions that needed the least amount of common sense to answer. "…Because they're breasts?"

Usually this would be the point where Shirou gave up. But not today! He had it!

The Red Blur was his _hero! _He worshipped him! He wanted to be him! Finding out the hero he strived to become was nothing but a perverted high school kid shook the very foundations of his soul. But Issei was still ever a hero. He still saved the world's problems. But he didn't do it for the sake of justice or for a good moral standpoint. He did it because he wanted to protect the world's supply of _breasts!_

"That's what I don't get!" Shirou slammed his fists on the table as he couldn't take it anymore. "What's so special about them?! I know guys think their amazing, I do too, but why are you willing to _die _every day for them?"

Issei's eyes widened slightly as he now understood where Shirou was coming from. He placed his tea down and shut his eyes in deep thought. When he opened them, his eyes were filled with steel burning with the passion and authority that put Saber's charisma to shame.

"Because breasts make the world go round."

If _only _what he said matched with his tone! Everything that came out of his mouth was complete and utter nonsense!

Issei wasn't done. He crossed his arms and lectured further, "For the breasts, by the breasts, and only the breasts; the creed of the followers of the Chichigami, guardians of the oppai. Where would man be without oppai? Nowhere! Oppai are the source of all life on this planet. It is not oppai that follow the Spiral Theory, no, it is the other way around. All things are made in the image of oppai! We do not live in the dimension of Outsiders and their laws of _edges. _We live in the dimension of curves and what better curve is there in this dimension than the oppai?!

"Oppai has made our sun. Oppai has made our galaxies, our universes, the multiverse, the _omniverse! _Oppai made our planet, formed our laws, governed our systems, made humanity flourish above all other creatures!

"Oppai is love! Oppai is justice! Oppai is a Law! I am willing to die a thousand deaths and beyond if it means one girl's breasts will be sad.

"And my summoner's oppai are the saddest of them all. I am going to do everything I can to make sure they will be given the happiness they deserve."

Shirou had listened. He did, but the words went through one ear and came out another. No matter how many times he repeated the… lecture in his head as he sat there, it never made sense in the end. It was just the ramblings of a madman.

In the end, Shirou slammed his head against the table. Repeatedly. He wondered if he did it enough he would forget this image of Hyoudou Issei and only remember the glory that was the Red Blur.

Alas, from hearing the holy preaching given by the Chichigami to Issei and then to Shirou, such a truth would never be able to escape him. For even should his mind forget it, his heart and his soul had been carved with those words.

And soon, very soon, they will return.

"Shirou~" called Saber as she opened the door and returned home.

Issei spat out the tea he was about to finish and bolted the _fuck _out of there.

*Scene*

He had betrayed them. Archer had broken free from his servitude from Rin and could now freely hunt Emiya Shirou to his heart's content. He needed to do this. For the chance of breaking his contract with Alaya and ending the vicious cycle of being a Counter Guardian, he needed to slay his original self. He had been summoned into multiple Grail Wars and had killed multiple versions of Emiya Shirou, but _this one _was his originator. He knew. He could feel it.

But Shirou fought back. His Tracing was pathetic compared to the aged defender. Even weakened with hardly any prana to expend, Archer was still the superior being. Shirou could replicate the strength and experience of what weapons he recreated, but he couldn't capture the love within them. His blades could have been _perfect _copies down to the last detail but they would never have their full potential.

Weakened, Archer's Traced weapons were significantly less ranked compared to his human self. But even E-Ranked Noble Phantasms of Archer were better than the C-Ranked ones Shirou could replicate. Because Shirou lacked the one thing Archer had for every one of his blades. Because Emiya Shirou lacked the _truth._

No, Archer realized with a thought that prolonged the battle further— he could have killed Shirou a hundred times but could never fulfill the deed. Shirou had the truth within him. But he didn't believe it. He couldn't fully grasp it in his heart of hearts. It was all nonsense to him.

Archer could not kill him. It was too early. He needed to kill his _true _self, not this weakling who was still earthbound to the folly of Gaia's Laws.

He needed to embrace the love of the Chichigami.

**"His body is a sword,**

** "His blood boils, his heart weeps,**

** "He stands before a thousand battles,**

** "Always he protects them,**

** "Never once able to embrace them,**

** "Never loving only one,**

** "Yet they surround him upon that hill,**

** "Thus, his life is fulfilled,**

** "That body was certainly blessed with…**

** "UNLIMITED BREAST WORKS!"**

The World and its Laws were shifted as the _truth _of the omniverse was revealed.


	14. The Evensong

**I, uh, don't have anything creative for this line.**

Hello again everyone! You know the this song and dance. Thank you once again for reading another chapter of Eighth the Dragoon!

First! No omake this time. Chapter ended at 20k and pretty heavy. But don't worry. The epic conclusion of the Servant of Oppai will be with us! And then I can finally begin working on the Servant of Oppai: the Presequel!

Fudge it. I'm calling it the Unlimited Breast Works route. It's its own thing now. We've deviated from the canon anyways on this one.

Moving on.

I posted a list of Defiant Works on the forum under EtD Discussion. For those of you who are going to be asking me what a Miracle is (you'll see them this chapter and I know you're going to ask anyways) first take a look at what is posted in the forum. If you still have questions then feel free to ask me.

Seventh Predator Xi'long Li Qin was introduced! I neglected her character description on purpose. When Issei meets her something will be given.

Someone asked me a question but I couldn't reply because they were a guest. They asked "Can the Gift of Craft fully repair/create a Sacred Gear?"

Yes and no. The GoCraft can only enhance one's crafting skill to their highest efficiency. But if you pay the price and activate the wings, then you can break through the normal limits and make things outside your physical restriction. HOWEVER, you must first know what you're doing. If you don't know how to make a Sacred Gear then you're not going to magically produce one. All of the Gifts are limited to those of its wielder.

Right, well, you know the song and dance. I've replied to most people's reviews via PM (those that needed it anyways). If I missed anyone do please hit me up. I will be plowing through this Excalibur arc until it complete either in next chapter of the following. And by then I'll be posting Doll Maker and Throne of Shriou!

Followed by taking a long break to work on original projects. Might even post something on my Fictionpress.

RIGHT! ON WITH THE SHOW!

* * *

Sona could hear her heart booming inside her chest with how deafly quiet it had gotten. There was a hum in the air as Rolan adjusted his footing to fully face Issei and Serafall. She wasn't sure if there was some sort of energy flowing from him… but there was a sudden increase in pressure pressing down upon her and making her tense. Her peerage were not as prepared as some of the girls huddled closer together as a demanding comfort of safety and survival tactics.

Rolan took two steps forward. His eyes bore into Issei's; his red and blue glowing just as fiercely as Issei's green. Together, in perfect sync as though capable of reading another's mind, their eyes narrowed.

The murderous intent between them spiked. It made the room suffocating.

This was a game only the likes of two Predators could play. A Predator was directly linked with the World and was therefore given the necessary amount of information required to enhance their survivability and killing potential to the utmost extreme. They weighed another's potential, calculated their own worth and then challenged the other through mental simulations. Their instincts would not be able to tell them precisely what would transpire, but they knew enough what tactic they might pull up would or would not work.

Rolan thought of a way to reject Issei's challenge. Issei sensed this and adjusted his plan according to what he and Serafall had gone over. Upon the new tactic, Rolan rearranged his own decision and approached the matter in a new direction. Issei shifted his thoughts. Rolan threw in something new, something almost random to misdirect the Dragoon. The draconian Devil instead played along and then sprung a trap. Rolan's eyes narrowed as he backtracked and threw something a little more daring and out of his comfort zone. Issei's eyes narrowed in response at the feeling he would be pushed to make a heavy decision but decided to follow with his instincts and go along with it.

They would never know what went on in the other's head. The World would only tell them what would work, what would fail, and the price of both consequences. An entire battle was exchanged within the five seconds they stared at another.

It had ended in a stalemate.

Rolan looked away not in defeat but distracted by his own thoughts once their assessment was over. He stepped away to return to his spot near the desk once again, exposing his back to the Dragoon but never once lowering his defenses. His hands folded behind his back. "You've learned to fight back…"

And then, the Sixth Predator did the one thing no one would have ever expected him to do. Issei blinked as he couldn't believe it. Serafall gasped as she took a step back from the shock of it. And Sona became very, very, _very _afraid at the unpredictability of his actions.

He craned his head back and _laughed._

A laugh filled with pride, respect, relief, and sorrow all mixed into one.

"All right, I'm listening," Rolan said in an amused tone as he faced Issei. Though his brow was still present, as it will always be, his lips were curled into a perverse grin that did not belong to his visage. "How do you propose we go about this… Rating Game?"

"…What?" Issei, however, still needed a moment to recollect his thoughts. He had never seen Rolan laugh before. The _idea _of him laughing was so alien in concept the thought never came to his mind. Hell, he had never seen Rolan _smile. _He thought the Sixth Predator was in a perpetual state of annoyance.

"I'm sorry, were you not a part of that psychic battle we just had?" Rolan's tone shifted to one of heavy sarcasm. His smile was gone. "Between the short span of time of when we last met to now you couldn't do shit. You come in here now with all your bravado and something to show for it. Clearly _something _happened within the past few days for you to grow a pair. And with Sera here, it means you've found a way to go around all the legal hoops. Hence forth challenging me to a Rating Game not as Issei Hyoudou to Chase Rolan, a Pawn of Gremory to a Devil of the Astaroth peerage, but as Demon Lord Hyoudou to _King Fucking Oberon._

"Let's skip all the bullshit, shall we, and get to the point?"

"No!"

Heads turned towards the voice who shouted in protest. Sona Sitri had slammed her hands onto her desk and stood fast enough to knock her chair back. Her brows were knitted with a furious expression. Her ire was directed onto Issei instead of Rolan.

"No," she repeated as she took a chance to breathe, to channel her thoughts and push down her emotions. "Issei has _nothing _to do with this. Even as a… _Demon Lord, _Issei has no claim to challenge you to a Rating Game."

Issei had expected Rolan to make that argument; he never expected the person he was trying to save push him away like this. He didn't understand why she refused his help like this. Regardless, he steeled himself before losing his courage. "Yes I do. I've beaten Sona in a chess match. I qualify as a candidate to marry her."

Rolan stared at a moment at Issei, his head tilting slightly in thought. He blinked once before moving his attention towards Serafall, who had been quiet the whole time— something terribly not like her. She returned his gaze with one of her own, a challenging look filled with as many emotions as needed to tell him what was needed.

He nodded in acceptance before turning towards Sona. He asked dryly, more so speaking the words as an act of formality. "Is any of this true?"

"No," Sona dejected Issei's claim without hesitation. She gave a _look _at the members of her peerage who were about to speak out. They shriveled before her gaze by the time she returned to Rolan. "Other than my sister and Rias Gremory, you are the only one to have bested me in a game of chess."

"Hmph," Rolan released a small breath of air in something between a huff and a snort. He never had any intentions of believing her. His attention went back towards Serafall, who had stepped up.

"We have evidence to disprove that fact," she elaborated. "Witnesses not associated with Sona and a security feed viewing the results of the match within the student council office—"

"Nee-san, stop!" Sona shrieked out and immediately realized how she reacted. She might as well have admitted to have lied. Her shoulders slouched as most of her weight was being supported by her hands flat on her desk. "Just stop. I've already agreed to this."

As she looked down, her eyes widened. There directly in front of her was the legal marriage doctrine. All that was needed for it to be official was her signature. If she could sign it then there wouldn't be any way they could argue against it. She _would _be married legally. The ceremony was only a presentation.

Her hand twitched in direction to the pen laying on the surface. But the scroll folded up and flew off the table…

…Into Rolan's waiting grasp.

"There are going to be too many problems if you sign that now that this has been brought up," he explained. "I'd like to avoid the political bullshit as much as possible, thank you. Regardless if the evidence is _false, _it's still evidence and would be too much of a hassle to prove wrong. So, Hyoudou, how do you propose we go about this?"

Issei and Sona looked at another. Her face was contorted into a mixture of emotions he thought would never see coming from her. Sona was a rock, always had been. To see her brought this far out of her professional persona, to drive her into nothing more than a scared girl… it hurt him. She was looking at him through anger and hope, but not any hope in saving her. She wanted him to _stop._

He wouldn't listen. Even if it meant his best friend would hate him for the rest of their lives.

Serafall spoke up in his stead, "We are using the old traditions in a game of kings, when war was out of the question. A tournament to decide which of you both is the superior ruler. As Hyoudou does not have a peerage and you, King Oberon, do not follow the same Devil traditions, you will both be free to choose your champions."

"A kings' game?" Rolan spoke in an unidentifiable tone. His eyes moved over towards the clock on the wall. "…I suppose I can stay for a little longer. But I'm not responsible for anything should the ley lines of this country act up again. Fine. We're going to need paper; lots of it for drafts."

Warning signs lit up within Issei's head. "…You're going to go along with this?"

Rolan gave him a blunt look. "Oh. I can kick and scream if you want me to; I'm quite good at it. Personally I'd rather avoid all this nonsense but _somebody _had to kick open the door. Since it can't be avoided, I'd had thought you and I were going to sit down and play a game of chess. But that's not going to be the case as you and I both know which one of us is smarter. Hence why we're having a Rating Game instead. We could argue back and forth for hours over the legal standpoints but the end results would have us back to this spot exactly. So why waste time?

"No, Hyoudou, I'm _not _going along with this so simply. Just because you learned how to bark back at us doesn't mean I'm going to be any softer towards you. _Nothing _has changed.

"Now is there anything else you need to bitch about or can we go over the rules?"

*Scene*

"And then when we ran away from home one time, I tripped and scrapped my knee bad. But Ise-kun carried me on his back the whole way and took the blame for everything. He told our parents he was the one who convinced me to—"

"For the love of—"

Serene and Virtue turned towards Xenovia who was about to defy the Third Commandment.

Xenovia coughed into her hand and drew back her annoyance. "Irina, while I am happy you got to see your childhood friend, that's _all _you've been talking about since Saturday."

"But Xenovia!" Irina pouted. "You don't get how awesome Ise-kun was! I have to preserve his memory now that he's become a Devil. Ohhhhhh this must be a test from God! I mustn't give in to temptation. Why did Ise-kun have to grow up into such a hunk?!"

"**Those who desire richness fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction**," recited Virtue. "Leave him. **The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the Day of Judgment. **There is no path for you to return to once he became one of _them._"

Serene look at her fellow Saint before reciting, "**No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.** Have faith in God, child. There is no sin in loving him provided you do not give in to your desires. All is determined by the will of the Lord. Keep faith."

This was how it had been ever since they arrived together in Japan. No, Xenovia could see the signs as early as when she met both Saints Serene and Virtue in the private jet. They simply could not get along and only tolerated another's existence because they had a common purpose. But that did not mean they didn't bicker back and forth (in their own way) like children. By using the verses of the Holy Book no less. And because they were using verses they couldn't argue against another else condemn themselves to blasphemy. Neither one of them were wrong.

But neither of them were winning either.

It made the whole trip awkward for the two Exorcists.

"Serene-sama, Virtue-dono, will there be a chance I could say goodbye to Ise-kun once we finish the mission?" Irina asked as she fiddled with her fingers.

"There is nothing to say farewell to other than a distant memory," Virtue shook his head. "The one you believe to love is but a lie. The young man who had captured your heart was the boy you grew up with."

"…So that's a no?" Irina deflated.

Virtue did not reply. Instead, he brought his attention back towards his fellow Saint. "Serene, why have you led us here? I have been patient long enough."

Serene stopped walking. "I wish to avoid bringing innocents into our affairs. To be this far from civilization strengthens that chance. Devil, come out so you may face us. I know you are there."

At first there was nothing. The three turned towards where Serene was looking and could see nothing but a sea of trees and darkness. None of them could detect anything lingering inside either. Time drew out and still nothing stirred. They thought she had been wrong.

…Until a blonde-haired Devil appeared from the shadows, unveiling what illusion he had wrapped himself to become visible. As soon as the shadows were lifted, they suddenly felt the dark presence flowing out of his body. He wished them a great deal of harm and could hardly maintain himself.

"…I had thought I figured out a way to avoid your detection," he began through narrowed eyes.

"Nothing is hidden from the eyes of the Lord," Serene said passively.

The Devil snickered in mockery.

Virtue stepped forward, his holy radiance emitting an aura around his body. It made the Devil tense but he did not falter. "**Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. **Continue; or run and flee. It matters not. **This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish'!**"

Serene placed her hand on his shoulder. It was not a gesture to stop him, but merely to gain his attention, to make him wait. Her eyes never left the Devil. "You are… Yuuto Kiba, are you not? The Knight of Gremory and acquaintance of the Dragoon Predator?"

She was stalling time, trying to make the boy see the second chance she was offering him. She wanted him to walk away before they would fulfill something that can never be undone.

"…I am here on my own accord," Yuuto responded through hardened eyes. "My business is not with the Church directly. My business is in regards to _those._"

His eyes shifted towards Irina and Xenovia. The amount of malice he had before spiked upon looking at them.

Rather, as Serene knew who this young man was, when he peered upon the only visible Excalibur strapped to Xenovia's back.

"Ah, so our culprit reveals himself," Virtue stated as he pulled white gloves from his pockets and began to put them on.

Hostilities rose further as Yuuto realized there wouldn't be any further talking. Two swords appeared out of the air in his grip. They carried demonic miasma.

But, as Xenovia and Irina revealed their Excaliburs, the Devil's energy might as well be as dangerous as a warm breeze. The holy radiance of their weapons lifted their spirits and rejuvenated their faith. It also began to weight down on the Devil. Combined with the radiance of Saint Virtue as he began to mutter prayers in fastening his gloves, the entire area was bathed in God's Grace.

Serene made no move to stop them. She had given him his chance and he threw it back in her face.

However, something _did _make them stop. Between them, a magic circle of crimson light began to etch into the ground. Devil's craft. Its pungent stench pushed back against the resilience of God's radiance, just enough for Yuuto to begin breathing again.

A small group appeared to intercept them. More Devils. The Gremory peerage appeared with the King personally at the front. Her demonic aura pulsed through the air enough to give space against two Excalibur blades and a Living Saint, but not enough to oppress it.

"Thank goodness~" Akeno said towards the Knight. "We've been looking everywhere for you Kiba-kun. Please don't worry us like that and run off again."

"Kiba-kun, are you hurt?" Asia Argento moved over to the Knight's side as soon as she could. Yuuto, in response, shook his head and looked away.

"Step aside, _Devil,_" Virtue glared at Rias.

Rias returned the glare with her own, but it wasn't missed how she began to sweat by three potent signatures of divine presences. "I will not. I apologize for any disrespect my Knight has done onto you. I assure you he will be punished for his transgressions."

Xenovia and Irina would have let it go at that, granted Xenovia would have been bitter about it. However, they did not put away their weapons or lower their guard because things were being settled _diplomatically. _Rias had offered peace, after all. No, they kept their weapons up because they both felt battle would be upon them anyways.

Because Saint Virtue would not let it go. "Do you expect me to take the word of a _Devil? _ No, no such forgiveness can be given to a heathen. If you shall defend him further, I will strike you down as an enemy of the Lord."

The entire area grew tense as Virtue shifted his stance to assault. Rias and her peerage prepared their selves for battle as their demonic energies spiked in retaliation.

"…Virtue," Serene tried one last saving grace before things got out of control. She was the only one who remained neutral and entirely unaffected by the two dominating forces. "This is the King of the Dragoon. Smiting her for any reason, no matter how righteous it may seem, would invoke the wrath of a dragon even the Lord had difficulty subduing. They have apologized. **Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the left also.**"

Most of the Gremory peerage flinched at the passage spoken through one who bore the Voice of God. Even Rias was susceptible, though she had been able to withhold her reaction by biting her lips.

Xenovia took a leap of faith. She lowered her Excalibur Destruction and gestured for Irina to do the same with her Mimic. "Saint Serene is right. As loath as I am to admit it… God will forgive us, Saint Virtue, if we continue to focus on—"

"_I _am a Voice of the Lord," Virtue spat. "_I _am _Virtue. _I am all that is good and righteous. And so I say in His Name the Devil hiding behind his master is a vice! They knew we were here. They had their chance to stay out of our way. He did not listen and must be punished. It is a sin not to. It is a sin to stay your hand before a _Devil_."

"Buchou, I don't think he's going to listen…" Akeno said through a thin smile. As much as she was soaking through her loins desiring to fry him with some Heavenly Thunder (the irony alone was getting her moist), another aspect of her was fearing against him. This was a Living Saint, after all. They were the most powerful fighting force the Church possessed aside from the Seraphim.

"…We will defend ourselves," Rias gave her last warning as the power of destruction was summoned by her will. Crimson and black lightning crackled through her fingertips as it seeped through her skin. She could feel it _hunger _to devour all that existed. She had to focus in order to keep it at bay, as though it were a living entity being held on a leash.

And, for some reason, this felt more powerful since her battle against Raizer Phenex. She was having difficulty holding it in, a first she ever had with the power she was born with.

"You will stay your hand, Virtue," Serene had enough and placed herself between both parties. She chose to oppose Virtue but kept her side facing the Devils should a fight break out anyways. Not that it would; Rias knew better than to pick a fight with a _Predator._

"You would choose _them?!_" Virtue sneered.

"**For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you**," Serene spoke in a most tranquil tone. "If you wish to continue, I will not be of any assistance. Nor will the girls. I am here to protect them and I shall not partake in anything that will bring forth the wrath of the Dragoon. But you? **Vengeance will kindle a flame of your forest to consume your all.**"

Serene said nothing more as she stepped around Virtue, grazing one gentle hand past his bicep before reaching the Exorcists. She gestured for them to lower their weapons and follow her out of the forest. In doing so, she looked back over her shoulder towards Rias, then Asia, and then Yuuto. None of the Devils could understand the look she was giving them with her peaceful face.

Her eyes widened towards the direction behind them.

They watched as a crimson projectile glistening in the moonlight flew over their heads and struck Serene like a missile. The explosion sent debris flying everywhere with the unprepared Exorcists being knocked aside. Their cloaks went up in flames with the protections they wore underneath keeping them from dying. But that did not mean they came unscathed; scorch marks dug deep into their faces, only minimizing the damage through instinct and training by turning away and bringing their weapons up as last-minute shields.

They watched as Serene splattered into a million pieces of red mist and gore.

Virtue had taken the brunt of the blast but moved no further than a step forward with his head snapping back from the force. He stood his ground and suffered no visible damage. Only Serene's blood and intestines coated his back.

Asia screamed at the sight.

Yuuto pushed her out of the way and dove in front of Rias. Something crashed into his twin blades and sent his world shaking by the strength. His guard faltered. His own blades dug into his shoulders from the unreal force. But he had been able to protect both Asia and his King before the figure _warped _past him.

Saint Virtue had been better prepared than the Knight. Fists swung around at high speeds and with such power they created shockwaves with every thrust. His fists collided with _something _and created thunderous roars with every contact. But the figure remained unharmed as he brought his sword around to slash at the Living Saint.

Virtue deflected the sword with his sleeve, but it had torn at the touch of the blade. His divine protections had worked but then ruptured by the weapon in the assailant's hands. Which meant it was a most unholy instrument, something only the vilest of Devils and pagans could use against the Church's elite.

They were only battling for half a second, fists and sword flying in blinding strokes with every move warping the space around them. Though Virtue was stronger, faster, and more experienced, there was something terribly wrong at play. The holy text and angelic runes etched into his gloves and fabrics were having no effect on the assailant. His bones did not shatter nor did his skin burst into flames. And with every touch, Virtue could feel his divine protections losing its grace.

Until a swipe to his ribs had his blood splattering all over the grass. The cursed blade had done its deed, had overcome the radiance of holy protections, and had delivered a crippling wound. It made Virtue hesitate in his next strike from the pain and shock. He could continue on, but against a savage like this the one fragment of time needed to reset his concentration was most critical.

The shadowy figure snapped a finger.

Virtue's side _exploded _into a raging inferno of colorless flames. Pain consumed him as not even the blessings of his faith or his training could keep him upright.

The figure moved away. Two seconds had passed. Everyone was beginning to gather their wits and beginning to form retaliatory strategies. But they were still so slow. The two most experienced of the parties were quickly removed. All that was left were children who had hardly seen the worst the world had to offer.

Such as this monster.

The figure was before Irina. Her eyes widened as she realized the unreal speed of this creature and how outclassed she was. She brought up her Excalibur Mimic as it swung its black curved sword. The two clashed, creating sparks of gold and black energies as the two forces were never meant to have met. But he never meant to cut her.

He grabbed her wrist and snapped her arm in two. She screamed in pain and released Mimic… letting it fall easily into his hands.

Xenovia was moving, bringing her Destruction around to split the young man in half. They were beginning to see a pattern of his movements and could make out faint details whenever he paused to perform an action. A teenage boy, lanky, bald head, large ears, and a smile with far too many teeth and far too large to fit proportionately to his face. He moved inhumanly fast; his body should have been mesh even with supernatural reinforcements.

Impossibly, he _caught _Excalibur Destruction. Not with his hands, but with his _teeth. _His head swiveled around, bent impossibly to be parallel to her blade, and his mouth clamped down just before the edge could fulfill its divine authority. He had been able to avoid this Excalibur's destruction property.

Crimson and black marbled eyes moved from the blade down towards her.

Xenovia froze as she was swept away in an aura of _madness. _Something invaded her mind. It tore down the protections of her faith as this thing was reading into her soul. She felt defiled, tainted, and impure, all by but a look of those eyes.

His neck _stretched. _His teeth grinded down the blade, creating sparks from his razor fangs as he grew closer towards her. But she could not move. She could feel his breath on her as he moved towards her neck. She could feel his fangs hovering over the skin; her flesh opening on its own in _welcoming _those fangs to drink her blood before contact had even been made.

His head snapped back when a black ball of pure destruction splashed onto his right temple. A total of five seconds had passed since Serene had been attacked. That had been more than enough time for everyone to gather their selves.

"Get away from her!" Rias barked and fired more orbs of destruction. It mattered not if they were enemies seconds ago. This _thing _was her enemy. The initial attack, that speed, that inhuman flexibility, that _smile… _she had seen those things before.

Ten orbs of destruction fired off by her command, scattering away at first and then coming together in a grand collision so to confuse her target. But it mattered little when her enemy was no normal creature. It had been more than prepared, probably even before she initiated her attack, and had dodged her attack with utmost fluency. However, it didn't divert away from the group to gather distance. It dove straight for her.

He crashed straight into Asia's barrier, his face pressing against the invisible wall. Still his smile remained with his tongue sticking out as though this were one big joke to him.

Koneko charged out of the group. She was nowhere near as fast as Yuuto, but her steps made the wind lash around by her speed. Invigorated with the chakra she had gathered since the possibility of a fight against a Living Saint, she had been ready to unleash her full potential. As soon as he crashed onto Asia's barrier, she leapt forward and brought her fist around in a full-might Assaulter stance in perfect replication to Issei's.

The young man brought his head back and _smashed _it against the surface of Asia's barrier. Her spell should stop all manner of force as it was a conceptual magic instead of practical. But the invisible wall shattered like glass by such a simple strike. Free, he blocked the Nekoshou's tiny fist with the flat of his blade. A shockwave of chakra and raw strength shook the ground and air, but no damage had been done.

Yuuto was there in her shadow. His Holy Erasure and Void Usurper, both weapons of his design to battle those of the Church and the Fallen, were brought around. One to slash at his neck while the other to slice off the arm containing the Excalibur. With his sharpened presence, any visibility of his attacks were thinner than a strand of black hair within this dark night.

Naturally, the young man had been able to see this coming almost a mile away. Excalibur Mimic was raised to intercept Holy Erasure while his head snapped back with his face morphing and sinking completely flat to dodge Void Usurper. As the light-devouring blade was swinging through fast enough to create a blade of wind, the young man stuck his tongue out and allowed a small trickle of his blood to be spilt.

It had been the tiniest fragment of a second when the blade was brought around to finish its attack. No matter how fast Yuuto could make his body move, his mind could not keep up with such extremes. Even as he saw the blood stick to his sword he could not stop his body in motion from completing the swipe nor react. The best he could do was open his grip to let the blade fly away.

Only two fingers were lifted when the Void Usurper exploded in a combustion of colorless flames and shrapnel. His entire left hand was shredded with his upper body and face taking the remaining damage at full critical. Mystic steel and cursed flames tore through his skin and the concussion knocked him off his feet.

Koneko had been able to endure with the resilience of a Rook. Though nothing had pierced her skin, she had still been knocked down by the concussion.

Rias and Akeno both barraged him with orbs of destruction and Heavenly Thunder. The orbs tore through his skin, leaving black ooze to continuously devour his flesh to counter his regeneration. The white lightning was blocked by the black blade, but holy and pagan forces met to create a shockwave to push the young man away. Even with a distance gathered, the two did not let up on their attacks.

Asia moved quickly, falling to her knees to begin immediate treatment on the unconscious Yuuto. However, something was hindering the effects of her Twilight Healing. Something dark was pushing against her healing properties. Her eyes widened as she knew what this force was.

It was the same darkness that had cursed Nakashima Ayame.

**Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath.**

And then, there was evil upon them all.

A swirl of _sin _blustered in the clearing, cycling around like a storm at the center where Serene once stood. Evil, true, shapeless, and abyssal evil rose from the ground, from the trees, from _them _and gathered into one spot. With all that was evil removed from their vessels, those wounded from the confrontation had been healed. No, simply the evil of their wounds had been extracted and the good within them spread to cover up the void.

A human shape began to form. A grotesque human form made of rotten skin, exposed innards, deformed limbs, disfigured organs, and jagged bones. The darkness that was absolute sin was absorbed into this body. But with every sin, more damage was done onto this body, making it more incongruous than before. The same damages done onto them was brought onto this disfigured creature.

But in an instant, the figure was gone. Taking its place instead was Saint Serene in the peak of her condition as though she hadn't perished.

She was _pissed _as she glared at the assailant with wrath equaling Heaven's might.

"Ah… shit," said the assailant. "This is going to suck _balls._"

**It is mine to avenge; I will repay.**

All the damage he had performed onto them had been redirected onto his self. All of it.

His arm snapped in two. His face tore apart and burned as though a grenade detonated before him. His side ruptured in a gaping wound the size of a fist. And, last, his entire being exploded into red mist.

His black blade and Excalibur Mimic clattered to the ground.

"Buchou! What—" Yuuto shot to his feet and created a pair of swords in his grip, ready to attack at a moment's notice. He, as well as everyone else, was in perfect health. There was nothing to keep him unconscious but his mind was still ready for battle. He had to blink and examine his surroundings.

It was as if nothing bad had happened to them. Both Devils and Church members stood tall without a scratch— without so much as a hair out of place or wrinkle on their clothes! It was as though they had been standing around the whole time instead of dealing with a monster who was going to town on them all.

Irina was the first to move. She eyed her Excalibur Mimic and immediately moved to retrieve it.

"Do _not _move!" Serene ordered in an extreme tone. "The Vampire still lives!"

Blood and shadows gathered as though her words were a trigger. They latched onto the dirt, rocks, and wood of the land, dragging it to the center of where the Fourth Predator had once stood. Bone, flesh, organs, tissues, nerves, vessels— everything that made up a human body began to weave together and give shape to the giant man. A bloodied and muscle-exposed hand grabbed the holy and cursed weapons on the ground.

The black blade glowed in a horrid light as crimson vein lines pulsed upon its surface. Shadows warped and spun clothes and reknitted flesh faster. The regeneration was almost instantaneous.

Fourth Predator, the Vampire, gave a smile that split his face in half. The illusionary identity he had before to attack the group had been destroyed from Serene's retaliation. Therefore, he stood before them in his true form.

"Damn," he gave a heavy sigh, yet keeping his large smile and cackling in between. "Thought I had you there. And did you really have to rip my mask apart? Now I'm going to have to fuck with some other kid and their family to sneak back into the academy."

"…How long?"

Power pulsed through Rias. The power of destruction oozed out of her in wisps of black lightning and ribbons. It floated lazily around her in the same way a cobra fooled its enemies into thinking it was going to be lax in its hunt. The air, nay, the _space _touching the black tendrils ceased to exist as it devoured all in its wake.

Absolute hatred channeled through Rias as she her Devil craft made her eyes glow with brimming power. "_How long have you been that person?!"_

The Fourth looked at her. His smile grew until each edge of his lips touched his ears and then curled into swirls within his cheeks. Hundreds of jagged teeth clattered as he _giggled _at her question through barely maintained excitement.

"Always!"

The one he was disguised had once existed. But not in a time since they knew him. It could be as early as when he enrolled into Kuoh or it could be as far back as the first days he became a Predator. Regardless, the person in question they thought they knew had never existed. It had been a lie with the Fourth masquerading as that individual the entire time.

Matsuda, Issei's dear friend, had been the Fourth all along.

The impact of such information rendered the Occult Research Club frozen in place. The Fourth had been among them the entire time and they never knew. He had been beside _Issei _for a time immeasurable and not even the Dragoon Predator had known.

Virtue stepped forward. Without sin to hold him down, his divine rights were unleashed at their full potential. His body emitted rays of white and gold as holy words etched onto his clothing and angelic runes shone on his gloves. Those aligned with his faith boosted their parameters to superhuman levels while it brought the Devils to their knees and burning pain. Xenovia leveled her Excalibur Destruction as Virtue amplified its divinity. Irina, who had no weapon to attack with, clasped her hands together and silently whispered prayers. Though she possessed not a Voice of God like the Living Saints, her faith was strong enough to support the divine presence further.

Serene extended her arm and clasped her hand down at something unseen in the air. Light penetrated the area as a pure silver sword materialized in her grip. It was as long as her entire arm with every part of it forged out of silver. However, in the moonlight, it glistened red.

The Church's greatest warriors, masters in turning virtue and sin into a weapon respectively, were ready to vanquish the greatest enemy of Heaven that had surpassed the Heavenly Father's adversary the Earth Mother.

The Vampire gave an exaggerated gasp and put his black blade up to cover his mouth. He whispered something far too quiet for anyone to hear.

Serene shivered. Her body fought against her as it jerked around. She moaned in an effort to remain upright.

"…No!" Virtue's eyes snapped towards his counterpart as he realized what was going on.

Serene tried to fight it. But no Living Saint could deny it. She fell to her knees and tried to mutter something— either a curse or a prayer to strike at the Fourth. But her body would not obey.

Somehow in some way, the Fourth knew her name.

But so too did Virtue.

"_Amelia Rosewood,_" he refused to allow the greatest heathen to gain control over Heaven's most powerful fighting force. "_Die!_"

The silver sword pierced through her heart. Serene gasped and leaned forward. Her hands gripped tight around the hilt as her arms obeyed Virtue's command and pushed the blade back until the guard was at her breasts. She collapsed; her hands still holding on to the hilt in a permanent grip. She would never let go of the blade.

Nobody moved. There were several different mixtures of disbelief floating among the group. They had seen Saint Serene burst apart into fragments and reappear shortly after. Surely something like this would be nothing in comparison.

But that disbelief was beginning to wash away as the seconds ticked away. Nothing changed. Serene did not get up. She did not remove the blade. The blood flowing down the silver edge began to sink into the metal as though the sword itself was drinking it in. They had thought this was another aspect of her Miracles. But, again, nothing happened.

A full minute passed and Serene never got back up.

"_Amy,_" the Fourth muttered with his own level of disbelief. "_Get up._"

Her body did not twitch. Serene of Finland, Amelia Rosewood, was dead.

"Well this fucking blows," the Vampire cursed as he clicked his teeth. "Yeah, the World acknowledges it."

He so declared with a voice of power fueled by the essence of the World, "**I am Third Predator, the Vampire.**"

"No!" Asia screamed and ran to Serene's side. She fell to her knees and shook the late Living Saint. Her body was still warm but fading away fast. She tried to remove the sword but it wouldn't budge. Panicking, knowing it wouldn't work but refused to face reality, Asia activated her Twilight Healing as though it would bring the woman who raised her back to life.

Virtue kicked her square in the jaw. "BACK AWAY WITCH! I'll not have you defile the body of a Prophet of the Lord with your devilry!"

Asia began to sob. Not from the pain of the strike but from the fact she knew Serene was gone from this world. She lay there with her face in the dirt as the tears flowed down.

Rias' anger flared. It rose from her Bishop's treatment and from her inability to defend Asia. She could move and strike against the Living Saint even as he continued to radiate his holy presence, but she could not risk dropping her guard in the slightest with the Vampire still present.

"…This changes nothing," Saint Virtue returned his ire towards the Vampire. "_**Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.**_"

More divine power flowed out as the Voice of God called upon his rites. The air shimmered as a Miracle was in the process of being unleashed onto the world.

The Vampire's smile returned with a vengeance. What he said next distilled the holy presence with a defiled aura of his own. "_**I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!**_"

The members of the Church's eyes widened in horror and surprise. The Vampire, the bane of Heaven, was incanting the next line of Virtue's text with his own pagan divinity. While Virtue bathed the world in righteousness and light, the Vampire darkened it with wickedness and rot.

"_**Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later!**_" Virtue continued his incantation. The air shimmered again to push back the blaspheme words.

"_**The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this~**_" the Vampire chose to sing this time, further mocking the Words of God.

Together, they challenged another and invoked the last text.

"_**The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches!**_"

Seven swords appeared around the two. Seven swords forged of light and beauty and seven swords forged of darkness and taint. Swords as bright as stars that lit the way for travelers and swords as dark as the night to hide the evil lurking within. Light devoured the dark and the dark devoured the light, creating a realm of gray between them. They floated and revolved around them at a steady and traceable speed.

Rias and her company realized how outclassed they were when the fighting began. Swords fired off like arrows, cleaving the trees and tearing the earth with every swing. Virtue and the Vampire were moving far too fast for their eyes to keep up. Their movements should not have been physically possible. Thunder roared in the clearing as the landscape was being remade with every blow exchanged. Like and dark clashed, creating tremendous tremors that shook both her body and soul.

"Buchou!" Yuuto shouted at the top of his lungs behind Akeno's barrier. It was the only thing keeping them from getting sprayed with shrapnel. "We need to leave! Now!"

There would be no shame in retreating at this point. Her enemies were the strongest of the Church and one of the eight Ultimate Killers of the planet. "Get the circle ready!" she shouted back, trying to order over the deafening booms of the battle. "Get Asia! We need Issei!"

"WAIT!" the voice of the Vampire was louder than the clash he was creating. "I'm not done FUCKING with you people yet!"

He was upon them before they could react. His body had vibrated from where he was brawling with Virtue twenty meters away and then _suddenly _appeared directly in front of Rias. She was completely unprepared as the sick monster was within her breathing space with his Cheshire smile and marbled eyes of swirling chaos. There was nothing she could do. Even if she had been prepared he was leagues faster than her.

Yuuto slammed his shoulder into her as he used his Devilry to accelerate at his maximum speed. The force ruptured the ground and he could feel his legs screaming from the strain, but he was far too focused in both panic and adrenaline to worry.

The Vampire's black curved sword carved into them both. Yuuto hadn't been able to get there in time but he had been able to save Rias from a lethal strike; his blade carved across her chest and through her shoulder but it had been shallow.

But the same couldn't be said for him.

His neck spliced open.

Instinct took over as he fell to his knees, dropped his weapons, and covered the gash with his hands. He couldn't breathe. The blood was flowing out of his wound at an alarming rate. He needed to close it else die in a matter of minutes. It hadn't been critical, but still warranted immediate attention.

In the middle of a battle the likeness of receiving any was low.

"KIBA!" Rias shouted in frenzy. Her power spiked and discharged through her hands fierce and mighty enough to draw blood from her fingertips. But her power of destruction surged like never before. A _beam _of her carnivorous ability fired in a Jetstream.

The Vampire brought his weapon up plus the sacrilege Miracle blades around in a shield. His eyes widened slightly when his Miracles shattered and he was pushed away from her attack. Though his blade blocked the majority of her attack, the splash damage tore apart his flesh and remained attached to his skin like parasites.

She had managed to remove that smile from him. Whether this was good or bad… she didn't know.

Before he could recover, Virtue was already at his side. His seven Miracles and his reinforced fists were lashed around like a hurricane of divine force. The Vampire was pummeled and slashed, but he did not fall down. However, he was noticeably slower. The black ooze of Rias' destruction spell continued to latch on and counter against his regeneration. No, it was overwhelming it and slowly spreading across his body!

She didn't have time to worry about that. Akeno was already by Yuuto and trying to patch up the wound with her healing magic. It was stopping the bleeding but the curse of the Vampire's blade was keeping it from closing.

"Koneko! Get Asia! Now!" Rias ordered. Her own bleeding wouldn't stop but she could ignore it. She needed to. She had to protect her peerage at all costs. With one hand channeling her destruction and another working the weaves of a transportation spell she kept an eye on the battle between the two beings beyond her.

It had appeared Virtue to be winning. But that wasn't the case. His opponent was an immortal being who did not seem to be bound to the limitations humans must succumb to. Even the humans who had reinforced their abilities through supernatural means still had limits. A certain level of strength, speed, and stamina could be obtained. Even by channeling the might of Heaven, Virtue was not susceptible to this law.

He was tiring. His soul was willing as he always struck with as much force as the previous. But his body was weakening as he knew eventually something within him would break.

His opponent had no such limitations. No matter how much blood was spilt, no matter how many bones were crushed, no matter how many limbs were hacked off, the bane of Heaven was always at the peak of his power. It felt as though Virtue was fighting nothing but a shadow.

For no matter how bright of a light, the darkness was always just as fierce.

His eyes widened in dread when Xenovia leapt into the battle. The Vampire had exposed his back to the girl who had been waiting the entire time for the perfect strike. She had seen it. She was going for it with her Excalibur Destruction. But she was ignorant. She knew not the monster they were facing.

She didn't know the Vampire had _always _known of her intention and lured her into a trap.

With the next clash of blades, the Vampire brought his face close to Virtue's and _smiled._

Xenovia brought her blade around to cleave their enemy in two right above the hip. Her holy sword would have shattered him the second its edge touched his side.

His ribs burst out of his side and clamped down at the flat of the blade to negate its explosive properties. His head twisted completely around to glare down at the Exorcist through another maddening gaze that rattled her soul and mind. She couldn't move as his natural aura was invading her mind once more and breaking down the defenses of her faith.

"Boo!" he whispered in a playful tone as one would towards a small babe.

Excalibur Destruction dropped from her grip as her hands shot towards her head. Something was clawing from within her skull. Dark and perverse thoughts that were not her own consumed her. She was seeing images that were not of reality; things that could not, should not, and will not exist and yet she was _seeing _them. She was screaming. She was pulling at her hair and digging her nails into her skull to rip out the metaphorical lurker he implanted her with.

She was seeing _truth. _Truth that went against her faith. She was seeing the memories of the Earth Mother and the Heavenly Father, of their endless battles, of the origins of humanity, of the Fallen, of the Devils, and of…

Evensong. _The _Evening Prayer…

…the fall of the Heavenly Father.

Her mind could not cope with the strain. Her _soul _could not stay strong. Her body continued to move, continued to scream and to claw at her flesh in the madness, but _she _was no longer among the physical world. Her psyche was lost in the memories that were not hers, unable to escape them no matter how hard she tried to block them out.

Eventually her body gave out and collapsed. Her fingers and face constantly twitched with her legs having a spasm every few seconds. Her eyes stared into open space as her lips muttered incoherent ramblings and apologies to a nothing she had wronged.

Virtue roared out in a righteous fury; the light of his blades grew from faint starlight to blinding sunrays. All seven swung down and split the Vampire in seven different ways with his flesh searing from white flames. However, the burst of significant power broke the Miracle's foundations; the blades of light dissolved into dust before fading away from existence.

A hand of pure blood latched onto his throat, flung him around like a rag, and tossed his body towards the edge of the clearing. The Vampire was far from done as his regeneration mended his body at its unreal speed. The light of the Miracle blades had severed the chaos of Rias' destruction spell, permitting the Vampire to heal at his normal speed without any further resilience.

"_**Whoever sheds human blood**_," sang the Vampire once more as his eyes turned towards the Gremory peerage. A dark pagan divinity poisoned the air. "_**By humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind!**_"

Yuuto made a gargling noise as his body jerked. His bleeding had stopped— the blood flowing down his neck ran back up and crawled back into his wound. Black veins pulsed at his neck and spread up towards his head and ran down his torso.

"R-Run! I… c-can't… he's trying to…" he tried to resist the blaspheme Miracle taking control over his body. He tried to defy it but there was nothing he could do. His hand went for the straight sword; he tried to activate his Sacred Gear to dispel the sword but _everything _about him was working against his will.

Akeno moved away as he stood and slashed at her. He clipped her. His Devilry sharpened his presence, warping the shadows around him and compressing his energy to make himself a blade. His consciousness was still his own but his body moved against his will. Every move he made was to kill at his best effort.

Koneko slammed into his side and wrapped her arms around his. His body jerked with bursts of demonic energy exploding out of his joints to throw her off. She struggled to stay on and hold him still and was close to falling off, but she refused to let go. His bones were cracking by his resistance and her strength.

"K-Koneko-chan hold him still!" Asia called out as she kept her distance from the rampaging Knight until he was bound. Her Twilight Healing lit up in her hands as she prepared to heal his wounds; perhaps it could reverse the curse the Vampire had placed on him.

Virtue was back in the game. He came charging at the Vampire at his flank. An influx of angelic runes lit up the sleeve of his arms as he spoke in a language their Devil's tongue could translate.

With Koneko holding Yuuto and Akeno conjuring chains of demonic energy to tie him to the ground, Rias unleashed another barrage of destruction when the Vampire's attention was still upon her. Her orbs scattered in every direction as a means to keep him at bay rather than to do harm this time. He twisted and dodged her attacks until Virtue was close enough to land a haymaker across his jaw. A shockwave of light erupted upon contact and washed over her, enough to burn the surface of her skin. She tolerated it as it got the Vampire distracted for the moment.

…Until he picked up Excalibur Destruction and purposely slid his hand across its edge. His blood ran down its side.

He swung the blade. His smile grew to the point it consumed his entire face.

_Space _shattered like glassas Excalibur Destruction activated and slammed into the surface of air. Virtue's face contorted into absolute pain and shock even if the blade never hit him.

Then, there was an explosion that swept them all off their feet.

Rias didn't know where she was when she came to. The world was still spinning when she tried to stand back up. She fumbled and clawed at a fallen tree trunk for support. Nausea swept her but the fear and worry over her peerage pushed her forward. There was a dull pain across her… everything. Nothing seemed to be broken.

Pushing herself to her knees, she examined her surroundings. The area was cleared into a flat surface. Trees were knocked down. The only thing remained was the Vampire… who was looking directly at her with his maddening smile.

At this point, there would be nothing to defend her. She was at his mercy. With two Excaliburs in his hands, that cursed blade slid into his belt, and the prowess that made him a Predator, there was _nothing _she could do to stop him should he move to strike her down.

She hated it. But she accepted it. His smile grew as he read the expression on her face. Yet, he did not move as his attention slithered over towards her far right.

She extended her senses towards her Pieces. She could feel them pulse as her King's Piece was still connected to them. They had been scattered by the blast, but they were alive. They were hurt but none of them had been struck by a critical blow. Slowly, as though sensing the call of their master, they began to rise up.

Yuuto was the first to break through the wreckage. But he did not go towards her. His body limped as blood trickled down his brow, left arm, and right leg. He was gritting his teeth as his legs carried him forward… straight towards the Vampire.

The black veins still pulsed from Yuuto's neck. The cursed Miracle was still in effect.

"Good, good!" the Vampire cackled. "Now go and pick that up."

He pointed towards over his shoulder with a finger directed at Xenovia's unconscious body.

Virtue stumbled out of the wreckage next. His clothes were in tatters, drenched in his blood, and still glowed in a faint light of Latin verses and angelic runes. But he was in no condition to fight, let alone walk. He took two steps before he collapsed to his knees.

"What… What are you doing with Kiba?" Rias demanded. She was panting. Her voice was soft no matter how hard she tried to shout. The aftermath of the holy force of Excalibur Destruction weakened her considerably. The Vampire might not have been able to hear her.

Perhaps he did. Perhaps he was ignoring her. He didn't answer as he was too interested in the jagged crack running up the spine of Destruction. He clicked his tongue but did not drop his smile. It was as though the damage upon the blade mattered little to him.

"Usurper of the Earth Mother," Virtue snarled, his voice still carrying authority and power despite his condition. "You are the bane of Heaven, the enemy of the Heavenly Father! His works and His words are the bane of your existence! By what satanic law are you able to twist His Miracles for your use? His system still runs! YOU CANNOT USE HIS WORDS SO HOW?!"

More began to trickle out of the wreckage. Koneko was first, followed by Akeno supporting Asia, and then Irina from across the way.

Yuuto returned to the Vampire's side with Xenovia over his shoulder.

The Vampire craned his head around, making sure to stare into the eyes of everyone within the vicinity. He wanted to make sure all were listening.

"Oh. Gather around children. And let me tell you the story of the Evensong."

Virtue's eyes widened in horror. "SILENCE! DON'T YOU SPEAK OF THAT SACRILEGE!"

The Vampire did not care. He spoke not in words of pagan divinity. He spoke by the authority placed upon him by the World. By the authority as a defender of the planet. As a Predator.

None could turn their ears away from him.

**"He learned prayer from us. He prayed to a Nothingness he knew would never answer. He prayed we will not find him. And Nothing answered him.**

** "I found him. He cried out in hopelessness, in petty desperation— a last resort and weep for an age of old. He cried, 'But, I am GOD!'**

** "We looked at him in pity. In sadness. For he was our teacher, our father, our protector. But it passed.**

** "AND BEFORE I SMOTE HIM WHERE HE KNELT I SO DECLARED, 'YES! BUT I AM **_**MAN!'"**_

Rias gasped. Virtue roared out in fury as tears of betrayal and rage flowed down. Irina simply stood there. The words, the _truth _had settled in her mind but they could not register within her soul. She was in a battle with her core— a battle she would lose no matter what.

It was Asia who screamed. A blood curdling scream of anguish, of denial, of heartbreak. She shook her head vigorously as though the truth itself would fall out of her mind. Akeno embraced her. Asia continued to cry, to mutter words of denial, until she gave in to the stress of it all and collapsed in the Queen's arms.

Nobody moved. Nobody could. Even as Devils, those aligned to the Underworld and furthest from Heaven, they were affected by the knowledge of a truth they could not believe.

God was dead.

Rias' eyes sharpened when the shadows around the Vampire began to rise. She tried to move to stop him. But she couldn't. She was wounded, weakened, and her fortitude was at its lowest from the words of the Evensong.

The shadows rose and enveloped the three. Before she could call out to her Knight, they were all gone.

Her heart skipped a beat. She could no longer sense Yuuto's presence. Not even the link she shared through the Evil Pieces would work.

"Buchou…" Akeno snapped her out of her anger. The Queen had approached her with Asia still in her arms. Koneko soon limped her way over. She fell onto her bottom but gave a reassured look to say she was fine… as best of a look as she could give anyways.

"We…" Rias had difficulty thinking. "We need to get Issei. How… How long… will a magic circle take?"

Though a King could always tell the conditions of their Pieces the same trait did not work the other way around. A King was to take responsibility for all of their Pieces and support them. Yes, their Pieces would always support their King as it was their master. But that was assuming the Pieces would always remain at their side. The only way Issei could know of her condition was if he was using his Predator perks.

Given he was in a meeting with Rolan over Sona, he couldn't afford to distract himself to keep constant vigilance over them. Plus, he believed nothing would happen to them anyways.

"Buchou, you're bleeding," Akeno said in a heavy voice. As the Queen she needed to be the pillar that supported the King. She wanted to run and tell Issei and rescue Yuuto, but their health was a priority. "You're going to be in danger if we don't treat your wounds. First we take care of ourselves and then we go from there."

Rias nodded; she already knew this was the logical approach but couldn't find the charisma within her to say it.

She had foolishly believed she could defend her Peerage from the Vampire. She knew she couldn't challenge him directly. But she had believed since they had all gotten stronger since his last appearance they could make a difference. Other than a few 'surprise' attacks, they could still do _nothing _against him.

It pained her enormously. She had failed to protect her family from the same monster. She had failed at being a King.

"Saint… Virtue…" across the clearing, Irina moved slowly. Her arms wrapped tightly around her waist as her legs carried her one wobbly step at a time. Heavy tears fell down her eyes. Though they were locked on Virtue's position, they could not focus on him. "God… must still be there… He has to be… T-There's no way He—"

His wounds did not slow him down. He rose to his feet, closed the distance in a single bound, and brought the back of his hand across her face. Irina squealed in pain and shock as she was brought down to the floor. The strike had been great enough to tear her skin.

"You are USELESS!" The air shook as his divine might was released. Slowly, almost like a crawl, his wounds were being healed by holy light. He stood tall and towered over the weeping girl. "The enemy of Heaven was upon us and you did _nothing! _Were you a true soldier of God you would have given your life even if it meant merely slowing him down. The sacrifices Saint Serene and Xenovia made will be remembered. But you? No. You've disappointed me, your sisters, and the Heavenly Father in your idleness."

Irina looked up at him with wide, horror-struck eyes.

His eyes narrowed as he made his final decision. He spoke once more through the Voice of God, "_**Now Salvation, and Strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come…**_"

Irina screamed. "Saint Virtue! No! Please! I'm sorry! I'll pay for my transgressions! PLEASE! DON'T EXCOMMUNICATE ME PLEASE!"

"_**For the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.**_"

Irina screamed once more. She crawled in haste to Saint Virtue's feet and groveled before him. She begged for him to revoke his words and to forgive her. He did not listen. He turned and moved away from her. Her screams of anguish would not reach his ears.

His eyes looked once at the Gremory peerage. He sneered, but turned his head away from them. He muttered something under his breath, fixed what remained of his suit over his shoulders, and marched out of the ruined area.

Irina remained sobbing on the ground. She prayed for Saint Virtue to come back and forgive her. He would not come. She prayed to the God she believed still remained for mercy.

The answer she received was pain. A sharp pain struck her head as her prayers were rejected. The act sent her spiraling further into despair and so she asked her God for forgiveness again. More pain was her response. She went on and on, praying for forgiveness and receiving rejection in its stead.

She wasn't just excommunicated from the Church. She was removed from the Heavenly Father's blessing entirely.

Rias… felt conflicted. She wanted to go over and offer her comforts for the girl. As a person she wanted to do this. But as a Devil she might as well be stepping on Irina's wounds. The girl still firmly believed in her God despite being exposed to truth. The teachings of the gospel were still etched into every fiber of her being. A Devil offering compassion towards an Exorcist would be seen as temptation.

As it turned out, she didn't need to make the decision on her own. A gentle hand came down and stroked Irina's hair. The chestnut haired girl shot up in alarm at the touch, looked at the person in doubt, but then chose to sob in her embrace.

Saint Serene of Finland continued to stroke her hair.

*Scene*

"The terms of victory are determined by the following…" Sixth Predator Chase Lance Rolan read through the final draft after an hour of debate from all parties. "If enough penalties marked on the King reduces the time limit per move to zero seconds, if all Pieces aside from the King are removed from the board, if the King is submitted into a checkmate, or if the King falls in battle against the defending Piece he is sieging or the opposing King."

He placed the document down and looked around the room from his seat. "Serafall Leviathan, do you agree to these terms drafted?"

The rules were not how she would have preferred to have been, but she could not argue that they were… fair. "Yes, I agree."

"Issei Hyoudou, do you agree?"

The Eighth Predator continued to click his heel against the floor from where he sat. His arms were crossed as he was greatly displeased with the end results. But, at the same time, Rolan had been equally as annoyed by them. The rules were set so neither of them would have an advantage over the other while at the same time restrict the match so neither of the two could meet unless a set of conditions could be met. If they could then it would just be a brawl between two Predators. This was supposed to be a game to determine who the better individual overall was.

"Yeah… I agree to them," he said with reluctance. But this was going to be the best chance he was going to get at the Sixth Predator.

Rolan looked around the room once more and eyed each and every Piece who had sat at their appointed desks. Layers and layers of notes of the conversations had been recorded by them. They had tried their best to give every opportunity in Issei's favor, but in the end their attempts had only given Rolan ideas for this new constructive game.

"Members of the Sitri Peerage, do any of you have any _reasonable _claim against these terms?"

His eyes landed on Saji at this question. The Pawn had the loudest voice during the exchanged but never had a valid point to make. Rolan, at first, had been patient with him and countered his questions with logic. But despite how many warnings both Sona and Tsubaki had given him, and no matter how many punishments they promised him, Saji continued to speak out of turn against Rolan.

Eventually, the Sixth Predator had lost his patience. He would have killed Saji hadn't Serafall spoken up.

_"Realize if you follow through then we will take it as a declaration of war,"_ she had said at the time. _"The treaty between the Devils and the Fae will be terminated as will your claim to Sona."_

Tsubaki looked once at her King before standing and speaking for the entire peerage. "We have no… valid arguments to make against the rules."

Last, Rolan looked over towards Sona. "Madam Sitri, do you anything further to say before we finalize this?"

"…That depends," Sona continued to glare at the Sixth, no longer caring for decorum or social etiquette. "Will my opinion matter in the situation?"

"Your opinion will be noted but it will not change the outcome we have come to," Rolan replied in his dry tone.

"…Then why say anything?" she chose _carefully _to say. There were far too many terrible things she wanted to say and an endless amount to choose from. But it wouldn't change anything. It would be nothing more than a final testament to her outrage.

"Fair enough," Rolan turned back around and pulled a pen from within his coat pocket. At the bottom, within the aisle of blank lines of to-be registered participants, he signed his name beside the King slot. He handed the pen over to Issei.

"Wait," Sona called out. "I would like a private conversation with _Hyoudou _before he signs."

Hyoudou. Not Issei. The Eighth knew this tactic. She was pissed at him to the point where she couldn't even say his name anymore. His eyes moved over towards Serafall, who had flickered an expression of sympathy before hardening it back into her Satan persona. She understood what he was about to do and tried to reassure him to follow the plan else everything would fall apart.

Rolan gave a shrug and gestured towards the door. He was giving them permission to leave to talk outside.

Issei wouldn't take it. He flipped the pen in his hand and went to sign the document.

"Do it and we're through, Hyoudou!" Sona rose to her feet.

Issei stopped and stared at her.

Slowly, Sona sat back down. Her brows scrunched together as her eyes were closed in thought. She suppressed her emotions back down so her face would appear calm and collective. Eventually she appeared so, but behind her desk her hands were clenched into shaking fists.

"Sign… and I will hate you forever," she said through a stern voice. "I have agreed to marry… _Chase _and you've disrespected me by ignoring my wishes. I am not some trophy for you to fight over. I am a person and I have made my choice. But if you wish to carry this out… know that I will _never _be there for you at your time of need. My door will no longer be welcomed to you and I will not go out of my way to help you for any reason."

It was a last chance. The fool must have known what she was trying to do. She had taught him well; he should be more than able to piece things together and see she was trying to protect him. By marrying Rolan he had promised to never do anything onto Issei and all those affiliated with him. But instead Issei was challenging Rolan and throwing away her protections.

She had taught him how to strategize, and perhaps that's how he had been able to get this far into playing word games against Rolan in this meeting, but there was one thing she never taught him. She had never taught him how to mask his emotions. There was never a need as Issei was constantly thrown into battle where such tact was pointless. She had taught him how to channel his emotions and to use them as weapons but never to hide them from his enemies.

So to say, her mask nearly fell apart when his face twisted into pain by her words. His lips quivered and his eyes drew away in looks of doubt and regret. She knew she was the one to take the knife and stab him with her words, she had accepted it, but it hurt watching the damage being done. She so desperately wanted to take them back. Instead, she hardened her heart and steeled her gaze. She needed to make a point. She needed him to see the mistake he was about to make.

The grip on the pen loosened. His shoulders sunk as he gave a heavy sigh and shook his head.

He looked at her and _smiled. _"I'll accept that, Sona."

And then signed his name.

Sona lost her strength. She fell back on her chair with a hand cupping over her brow. No matter how hard she tried to swallow it, no matter how hard she tried to keep her emotions down, a single tear escaped. She had to bite her lips and draw blood to keep herself from breaking apart.

Issei put the pen down and sat back against his seat. He chose to stare directly in front of him and focus all his attention to himself. He couldn't afford to break down from seeing Sona so… defeated. She was the woman who was probably his first crush, the one who took care of him since attending Kuoh, and the closest friend he had in a _long _time. He knew what she was trying to do.

He could give up his own happiness if it meant she could, one day, find her own.

Serafall was the one to pick up the pen next. She eyed Rolan in the case he was to argue with her. He didn't, but she elaborated anyways, "The rules indicate both Kings are free to choose their champions to participate since neither possess a peerage. And all champions needn't be affiliated with their respective factions. So I hope you don't mind if I bend the rules a little and volunteer myself."

"I always knew you were going to when you proposed that rule," Rolan returned. "Normally, the Satans are forbidden from Rating Games. However… I suppose that would apply to the Devils' system, wouldn't it?"

"Please pardon my selfishness, Hyoudou-chan," Serafall said halfheartedly as she signed her name in Issei's Knight slot. She believed it to be an adequate position for someone of her caliber while not treading over his own wishes… entirely. She would never be so inconsiderate as to place herself as his Queen for this game.

"Wait," Saji stood from his seat and moved towards the small table the three had gathered around. More protests and pleas were being made by a few Sitri members but he paid them no mind. "_Anyone _can join?"

"Saji…" Sona lifted her head but didn't have the strength to give him another stern look. "Don't do this."

The look of his mighty, unbending King being so… _weak _sickened Saji to no end. Her plea only reinforced his determination. "Look, Hyoudou, let's get one thing straight. I don't like you. I never will. But… Kaichou… does. And it's clear as day she doesn't like this guy. So I'll be fighting for Kaichou."

Issei looked up at Pawn and indeed saw fire brimming within his eyes. However… "Saji, this isn't a game you can partake in."

"How about this?" Rolan announced a proposal as he stood up.

Issei and Serafall quickly stood and moved directly in front of Saji. Seeing them in alarm, other members of the student council got up. Ruruko and Momo both threw themselves in front of Saji and pushed him back into the group. He had no clue as to why they were acting this way.

"…I'll not do anything to him," Rolan explained as he cupped his hands behind his back. "And I'll even stand right here. But I would like to look at him. Tell you what; if he can remain standing for ten— no, five— no, _three _seconds, I think you, Saji Genshirou, should sign. If not, then you must admit that you are incapable of protecting your King. How does that sound?"

"Chase," Serafall hissed. "That's enough. Don't make this any worse than—"

"I'll do it," Saji broke free from the crowd and stepped forward. "I'll make you eat shit with your words, _shrimp._"

Rolan did not look amused by the comment. "Just stand there and look pretty for as long as possible. You know what, if you _can _stand for three seconds I'll call the whole thing off, rip up that declaration, and Madam Sitri will be free to marry whomever she wants. How does that sound?"

Now, Saji was more than determined than ever.

Issei asked instead, "What are you going to do to him?"

Rolan shrugged, "Say a few words. No powers, no magic, no illusions, no psychic invasions; I'll be doing something even you can do. Understand I won't be holding back in the Rating Game and I will be bringing friends who can keep up with us. If this _boy _can last three seconds then there's a chance he could… survive the game. It's his own choice if he wants to fuck himself over."

Done, Rolan turned back to Saji. He eyed the young man up and down, evaluating his physique as well as the look in his eyes. Satisfied with what he was looking for, he began to talk. "Before we begin, let me tell you something. A bit of nostalgia on my part. About… six years ago there was a large group of Travelers called Djinn who came here looking for their king. They _really _fucked things up in the mundane society and my responsibilities called me to kill them and those who were associated with them.

"You remind me of the one man who _could _fight back. Just like you, he was a normal high school student with nothing special about him until this whole supernatural world was introduced into his life. He loved the group of Djinn who had gotten close to him in such a short amount of time. He fought tooth and nail against me to protect them. He knew what I was; he didn't listen and gave it his all knowing I could kill him at any moment. That man earned my respect because he chose to defy the natural order all in the name of love. You're not too far off from him and, dare I say, you've earned a fair amount of respect from me because of your love for your… _kaichou._

"But your idiocy separates you from _him. _The words I am about to say… he could fight me with his full might even after hearing those words. But you? I doubt you'll stand a single second. Do you want to know why? Because you lack his ambition, his sense of honor, and your love for this girl is _shallow_. You might say you'll be willing to give your life for her, but _can you_? Are you ready, Genshirou?

"Do you know who I am?"

Issei's eyes widened. He knew what Rolan was about to do.

Saji glared defiantly at Rolan. He _was _going to make him eat shit. "I'm ready."

Rolan nodded and brought his arm around to look at the watch strapped to his wrist. He waited patiently until the clock was near the 12 mark. With seconds to spare, he timed his words precisely so by the time the sentence was complete the hand would pass into a new minute.

**"I am Sixth Predator."**

The transition was instantaneous. The entire time Rolan had always been some short prick who had come out of nowhere to steal his King away. He wasn't impressive, he constantly swore, he constantly looked at everyone as if they were disgusting _creatures, _and it looked like he didn't want to marry Sona but was doing so simply because he could. This was a guy Saji would have loved to drag out of the room and beat the living shit out of him. But everyone had stopped him from doing so. Hell, he had several punishments to go through as he didn't listen to them and continued to bark at this Rolan character.

Now he understood _why _they were afraid of him.

Rolan wasn't a person. Rolan wasn't a simple monster. Rolan wasn't even a villain Saji could stand up against. He wasn't _anything _Saji could stand against. Forces of nature such as storms, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions were things he had a _chance _of overcoming compared to him. But Rolan? There was no chance. His odds of living were absolute zero.

Because Rolan was **Death. **_Nothing, _no matter how powerful, how resistant, how immortal or everlasting in existence, could _ever _escape **Death.**

Saji's mind, body, and soul united understood this. There was no survival mechanism he could do to have him walk away. This was it. This was the end. All he could do was accept it.

His body collapsed to the ground.

_Tick._

Rolan looked up from his watch. "Instant. Not a single second passed."

There were only a few who could move. Ruruko and Momo were the first. They knelt down and tended to the one they adored but never adverted their gaze away from Rolan. Tsubaki was the other member of the peerage who could maintain her sanity as she had been once exposed to his identity before and the killing intent of two Predators in the same room. But having being reminded of his unworldly existence shook her still. She had come to terms this man could kill her without hesitation and resistance.

Everyone else, however, were petrified with fear.

"A-Another one?!"

"This whole time he's…"

"K-Kaichou's f-f-f-fiancé is…"

"I… I can't breathe…"

Like dominoes they began to fall. Some blanked out, others simply lost their strength and sank to their knees. They huddled together, trembling at the knowledge the man they had secretly whispered insults and gave daggered glares was one of the eight Ultimate Killers.

Among the peerage, only two remained standing. Tsubaki, who had been exposed to this knowledge beforehand, and…

The Knight, Yura Tsubasa.

"They lasted three, four… even five seconds. Impressive," Rolan kept count in his head as he watched each girl fall. His brows rose at the time it took for them to lose their grit. He paid Tsubaki no mind, but his eyes shone with his scowl completely disappearing at the sight of a still-standing Tsubasa.

"Impressive," he said again, this time full of sincere respect. "And why aren't you afraid?"

The blue-haired Knight was scared. Terrified. Her legs were wobbling, her entire body was shaking, and her mind was screaming at her to run away as fast as possible. Her being was telling her this man could kill her but her body drove her to survive as long as possible, to draw out the inevitable even if it would be pointless. But those were not the reasons why she kept standing.

Her eyes flickered towards Issei's, who was returning her look with nothing but concern and reassurance. His eyes were soft yet firm, a telltale he would protect her as well as everyone else inside the room even at the expense of his own life. It was for the same reasons why he was throwing himself into the fire to save Sona.

Because he was her hero.

"I shouldn't be surprised," Rolan said with something akin to amusement, if a gruff could be considered a chuckle. He turned away from the group and picked up the document. "Given your new set of wings, Hyoudou, it shouldn't be too hard to rally the women to your side. I recommend learning to use them as soon as possible. You can begin with the Kyuubi in Kyoto or some of those vampires of the Carmilla faction. Otherwise the girls in your little club won't survive the game, no matter how much they throw away because they think they love you."

"…What's that supposed to mean?" Issei's anger spiked.

Rolan stared at him for a moment, curiously. There was something inside Issei's choice of words and tone that told a completely different story. "Do me a favor. The small of your back, right above the tailbone, can you feel them? They don't feel very old. I would say… at some point during the Rating Game against that Phenex person. Congratulations on bagging a Primordial, by the way. Maybe you'll build the harem you've always wanted with that Gift."

Issei's eyes narrowed in confusion. He had no reason to believe anything Rolan had said but… a part of him _knew _they weren't lies. At the mention of wings at the specific part of his back, something fluttered in that area as if calling out to him. And they weren't his Gift of Flight.

Keeping his eyes locked on Rolan, Issei reached his senses towards his Gift of Flight. They answered his call but didn't activate. They were merely telling him they were there. His mind traveled down his spine until he had reached the small of his back.

A second pair answered his call. A _new _Gift of wings were there. He could feel them now that he knew they were there. They had been hidden from his vision and he never had the chance to see that area. He called out to them, questioning what they were and what their purpose was.

The answer he received made him pale. The Gift, its passive ability, and its active ability… and then there was the knowledge it had been branded onto him since the Rating Game. That meant… with the events of Rias… and Asia…

"You know what…" he shook his head. He didn't need these thoughts. He couldn't afford to spiral into any more depression. "Considering everything I've been through, I'll take them. Even if it's all a lie. I'm very happy with the way things are right now in my life. I haven't been happy since you fuckers killed my parents. I'm _not _going to let this bother me one bit."

"Good for you," Rolan said passively, almost dismissively and without care, as his attention was fixed on the document they had just signed. He pulled on the paper, appearing to have split it in half at first until they got a second look at his actions. The space manipulation technique, more than likely belonging to his familiar, had pulled a second copy of the document from the original.

"Nevertheless," Rolan said more so to himself as he handed the copy over to Issei, "Sera herself is getting deeply involved with you over this. I understand this is for her sister, but I wouldn't doubt before the actual game she ends up sleeping with you—"

_Smack!_

Serafall brought her hand around and struck Rolan as hard as she could across his cheek. As a Predator, he should have been prepared. He should have put up protections or produced the same layer of ice he had when Issei struck him. But he did none of those things. He took the full hit, bringing his face around and making him take a step back else lose his balance.

The Leviathan's ire pierced him with her glower. Words needn't to be said.

Rolan looked down at her once with his usual dry look before returning to Issei. He pretended as though nothing had happened. "If that is all, then I will be seeing you—"

Towards the edge of the room, a magic circle was lighting up the area in red. The Gremory sigil appeared with the circle being large enough to carry the entirety of the Occult Research Club. Seconds after its activation, the group surfaced.

"What happened?!" Issei moved towards them as his eyes picked up traces of blood and the conditions of their clothing. He stopped himself, blinked, and stared at the two others who had appeared within the circle.

"…_You,_" Serene's tranquil expression melted away into one of wrath at the sight of Rolan.

"W-Wha…?" Issei didn't understand. Serene and the Exorcist Irina had been brought within the room via _demonic _summoning. "B-Buchou… how…?"

"Well, if it isn't the _Whore of Babylon,_" retorted Rolan as he treaded across the room to face Serene. "Hyoudou, allow me to introduce to you the world's filthiest _liar. _Saint Mother Fucking Serene is the Church's holiest of Living Saints, capable of granting Miracles parallel to the greatness of the Savior. Some say she might be the Second Coming. She's beautiful, kind, compassionate, benevolent, and patient. The ideal nun, wouldn't you say?

"It's all one big _lie. _How can she use a _Devil's _summoning circle when she is a holy maiden, let alone able to use it even if she is not branded with the Gremory family crest? Simple. Though they are still classified as Miracles, they are anything but _nice. _Serene here was born with the Miracle called _Transfer of Sin. _She extracts the concept of sin from any target of her choosing, absorbs it, and can even redirect it onto a new target.

"And what is a Devil's power? _Sin. _The greed, lust, pride, and all that shit extracted from humanity itself. She is a walking zest pool of sin. All the evils of the world reside within her. She is the most _un_holy person on the planet.

"Am I forgetting anything, Serene?"

"…Creyroux," she answered with _bitterness. _Issei was starting to get scared as to why the most peaceful individual on the planet was getting so visibly upset. Then again, it was _Rolan _who was antagonizing her. "Never you mind about that. We have a situation… one that as _you _written all over it."

"…Fortunately our business is concluded," Rolan almost growled. "Come with me then. We can talk in private—"

"If you don't mind," Rias spoke up, "this concerns us as well. Your _lackey _took my precious Knight."

His brows scrunched up in confusion and irritation. His eyes glowed for a second before he took a deep breath; his power dwindled back down. "I've nothing to do with your Knight, but whatever. I'll listen to your story so long as you don't waste my time."

"Rias, what happened?" Issei tried again.

Asia moved away from the group and immediately went for Issei. She threw her arms around his waist and dug her face into his chest. Not a word was said from the blonde nun.

Rias looked at her with a heavy heart before looking over towards Sona. "Sona, do you mind if we use your—"

"Get out," was her _cold _reply. "I've washed my hands of this. As I said before you arrived, Hyoudou is no longer welcomed here and I will partake no longer in his affairs. Tsubaki, please give this to Hyoudou and escort them out."

She pulled something out of her desk drawer and handed it over to her Queen. Tsubaki looked at it once and gave her King a questioning look as well as one to make her reconsider. Sona returned with an imperious glare. Tsubaki frowned in disappointment towards her King but complied in the end. She crossed through the room slowly with everyone's attention gathered.

She took Issei's hand and slid it into his palm. She closed his hand but kept hers clasping his tight for a moment. A look of sympathy, sorrow, and apologies was given before she gave his hand one last squeeze and moved away.

He squeezed his own hand, letting his palm cut into the jagged teeth of the object to draw blood. The pain distracted him from breaking down right then and there. The night wasn't over and he couldn't give in to his emotions. At least not yet.

He tucked the silver key to his house into his pocket and left the student council office.

*Scene*

"The inscription is wrong," Rolan commented as everyone gathered in their respective seats. He had refused the tea Akeno offered as he examined the various sigils placed around the clubroom.

"It's all for decoration," Akeno lashed out with a sharp tongue. She didn't have her normal smile. "We _are _the Occult Research Club. We can't have any real magic on display now, can we?"

He turned over his shoulder to give her a dry look, one that transcended the condescending look she had given him. "I was referring to the barrier hidden under this… _decoration. _The one written in invisible ink."

Akeno's superior look dropped like a rock. Her eyes narrowed as she clicked her teeth in disdain. She was the most magically gifted of the group and took pride in her magic craft. To have it spotted so easily, let alone _criticized, _irked her.

Rolan moved away and returned towards the center of the room. "You worked too hard in hiding it from the mundane and neglected to first test its efficiency. Second, your Trojan Horse tactic is too obvious. You should have one sigil horrendously obvious, a second decently hidden but visible to those who are capable of searching, and a third hidden in plain sight. Everyone tends to look what is hidden but never what is before their very eyes."

Akeno was tapping her finger against her tray in irritation. "…And what makes you think I haven't considered that already?"

"The fact that you're asking that, for starters. Second," Rolan made his eyes glow bright enough to shine light within the room. Every magical instrument, sigil invisible within the walls, and all the magical traps layered within the room including placed upon the Devils and Church dwellers emitted a faint light. "My eyes can see everything. Third—"

"Chase," Serafall interrupted. Her eyes were glowing as the temperature in the room dropped significantly. "The pathetic size of your dickis not the reason why we are here."

"No, of course not," Rolan continued in strive with his sarcastic tone. "We're here to accuse me of something I've no part in, aren't we? Please be specific. I am currently working on several projects so there _might _be a chance I've had something to do with whatever it is that happened."

"Must you make an enemy of everyone?" Serene asked in a chair aside of Irina.

"Must you be a disgusting, filthy, lying, cheating—"

"Chase!" barked Serafall. Her tea had frozen solid as well as those around her as her power spiked.

Rolan waved his hands in submission before taking his own seat on the couch beside Serafall. Though there was a considerable amount of space between them. She blew out some steam and went to take a drink of her tea but found it to be frozen solid. She waved the cup in his direction and glared at him with eyes of expectation, almost demanding. His scowl deepened when he eyed the cup, then her, then the cup once more, and then finally back at her. She waved it another time. He sighed, waved a few fingers while keeping his arms crossed, and the liquid melted into a steaming brew.

She didn't thank him but there was something in her eyes at the act. No matter how much she hated him for what he had done, there was still a small flame lingering from their past friendship. Perhaps it had been true, perhaps it was all a lie, but the time meant something to her and no matter the circumstances it refused to burn out. Likewise, Rolan could not refuse her in these small moments as though they were habitual.

"Miss Gremory," Serene spoke up towards the King, "before we begin perhaps it would be in everyone's best interest to… control your servant."

Rias, who sat at Issei's right instead of at her desk, gave the Living Saint a demanding look. But when Serene's gaze was locked on Issei, Rias understood what she was referring to. "…I see. For future record, please do not take that tone when talking in regards to a member of my family."

Serene only nodded.

"Issei, I am giving you an order," Rias began as she crossed both her arms and legs. "As your King, as your master, and as Rias Gremory. No matter what you hear, you are to remain sitting there. Feel free to ask as many questions as you want, I won't restrict you on that. But you _must _control your anger. Do you understand?"

Far too many alarms went off in his head. Worse when Asia's arms tightened around his left and Koneko sunk deeper into his lap. "Buchou, what—"

"Do you understand?" she repeated with the undeniable authority that was a King.

"…Yes, Rias," Issei submitted to her will.

Immediately after, Rias reached for his hand and held it tight. She gestured for Serene to begin.

The Divine Beast nodded and drank some tea to clear her throat. "The mission the Gathering of Heaven had ordered of Xenovia and Irina was to retrieve or destroy the holy artifacts of the Excaliburs that had been stolen recently from several strongholds. Excalibur wielders were killed during missions and so all Exorcists and Paladins possessing the fragments were ordered back to their respective bases. The culprit did not slow in his actions and continued to steal the artifacts. The most recent theft resulted in the death of thirty-two Exorcist, twenty Paladins, two Paladin Lords, and Saint Love. But at the same time, this last attempt made the culprit slip up and we were able to trace his movements back to this land.

"Saint Virtue volunteered himself as the leading investigator while I was ordered to protect them on the chance the recently revealed Dragoon Predator was to interfere. I will not deny having someone of my caliber amongst their ranks would have been the best protection since this culprit was capable of wiping out a small army of the Church's finest. I was willing to cooperate with the operation to the best of my abilities.

"Less than an hour ago, the Knight of Gremory, a Yuuto Kiba if I recall his name correctly, had been following us and so I sought to see his intentions. With his… presence concealment Devilry down, the Gremory group appeared. I trust he was acting on his own actions and Miss Gremory had been seeking him for some time. Nevertheless, we were ambushed. The Excaliburs in our possession were stolen with Xenovia and Yuuto taken hostage by the enemy."

Everyone's grip upon him tightened. Koneko looked up at him with pleading eyes. Even Akeno came around to place her hands down on his shoulders. Her fingers knitted them with tender feelings of concern. They were all trying to hold him down.

"…Who was it?" Issei asked.

Serene looked at him with her tranquil visage. Her emerald eyes bore into his with an aura of peace. He could feel her… extracting the sin of wrath within him to further keep him calm.

"Fourth Predator, the Vampire."

He almost threw everyone off him. Various objects in the room shattered as his draconian aura exploded out of his body. His eyes glowed green, his skin warped into scales, his fanged teeth sneered as a feral growl escaped from within the back of his throat. It was all the preparations they made beforehand that kept him from bursting out of the room.

He had to take several deep breaths. He had to focus. How had he missed the presence of the Fourth so easily? He had used his Predator perk to keep track of his movements. Even right now, as he instinctively honed in on the Fourth's location, he found the fat fuck sitting in his apartment in America.

"You're probably wondering how you missed him?" questioned Rolan. "Yeah, we all have the same problem with him. Where do you think he is right now? America? Brazil? Peru? Russia? China? Britain? The World acknowledges he is in all of these places because he cut off his face and sewed them onto his ghouls. And whoever's face he wears is registered by the World as that individual. You won't be able to find him using the Predator's location sequence."

…There was truth to Rolan's words. When Issei tried to locate the Fourth's location on each of the countries listed… he always found him. There were multiple Fourth Predators all over the planet. Which meant he hadn't been keeping track of the real one the entire time.

And when he tried to find the Fourth located in Japan, his Predator perk could not find him. The World did not register him located in Japan and rerouted his search to the nearest one; the one located in America.

"You mean _Third _Predator, right?" Rias asked when Issei remained still.

Serene tilted her head slightly before answering. "Ah, that. No, he is once again the Fourth and I am once again the Third. I had to use Creyroux to kill my vessel. My soul was devoured by the blade and the World registered me dead. I could not afford for him to use me against his enemies. So I remained dead until he departed. With my soul extracted and a new vessel created, the World had to correct its assumed mistake and correct the system. Things have returned to what they once were."

"Speaking of which…" Rolan turned towards Serene this time. "Aren't you supposed to be in the Middle East?"

She gave him a blunt look before answering _calmly, _"The Candidate in Israel is dead. His own hubris was his downfall."

"And you couldn't revive him because…?"

"It wouldn't have changed his arrogance in the slightest," Serene countered. "We can discuss that later. For now, Chase, what is your part in all of this? As Saint Virtue, and therefore the Church, believe I am dead, my affiliation to them has been terminated. I am asking you as… myself."

"Nothing," he answered in an irritated tone. "While I _am _trying to run a Holy Sword project nothing is being produced as it's still in the proposal phase. Second, the choice in candidacy has to be reevaluated since a certain _someone _won't let me touch Yuuto Kiba. Third, fuck your fragments. They are nearly a thousand years old forged from outdated technology. The Predators back then were pushovers compared to us and the Excalibur back then couldn't make Arthur into one. The Excalibur I planned on forging through my own personal research is going to make whoever I choose into a Predator.

"The way I see it, the Fourth is doing whatever he wants. Why? Fuck if I know. I may work with the guy on occasion and I might share a few drinks every now and then with him, but that doesn't mean I understand a single thought that goes through his head. I only know he doesn't work with the enemy and that he'll be there during the Evensong—"

"Wait," Irina lifted her head. She had done nothing but stared into her now lukewarm tea until his words caught her attention. "What do you mean _during _the—"

"For _fuck's _sake!" Rolan roared with his eyes glowing. "If _any _of you so much as _think _of saying the word 'wait' again, I don't care what happens, I am going to blow your brains out! I've heard that shit five times this night! Learn something called _individuality_!

"Fucking biblical factions…" he cursed before leaning back in his seat. "The Evensong. The Evening Prayer, the Last Word, whatever you want to call it, _was _supposed to be the final clash between the Earth Mother and the Heavenly Father. Respectively, the incarnation of the planet and the incarnation of the heavens. It was prophesized in the Book of Revelations as the time of Rapture. But… thanks to a megalomaniac prick, shit hit the fan way too soon."

"Chase," Serafall warned again.

"It's quite alright, Lady Leviathan," Serene intervened. "The Fourth had recited a passage of the… _current _Evensong."

Issei felt his heart drop to his stomach. He had heard the entirety of the Evensong from Ludwig. There were things in the passage he wished to have never learned but knew he had to as the defender of the planet. The truth continued to drive him mad with fear at the upcoming apocalypse he knew they couldn't face. But to learn those he kept the secret from had learned of it…

"…What part did he say?" it was Rolan who said through a tense voice.

"…God is dead," Serene answered, receiving whimpers from both Asia and Irina.

Rolan leaned his head back on the couch and gave an enormous sigh of relief. "Oh thank God… Ugh. That pun wasn't intended."

Issei felt two things. The first was a wave of relief came and washed through his system. Yes, he had known Second Predator the Heavenly Father, had died when confronted by his archenemy, First Predator the Earth Mother, after being weakened by the abomination he sealed away. The second feeling washing through him had been guilt. Not guilt for keeping such a secret away from his fellow Pieces, Asia especially, but guilt because he felt _relieved _that was the only piece of information the Vampire had shared.

"…There's more to it, isn't there?" Rias asked, almost demanded.

"That's for Hyoudou to decide to share," Rolan decided to throw Issei under the bus. "Now, to get back to the point, I've nothing to do with this little incident of yours."

"Do you have a means of locating the hostages or the Vampire?" Serene asked.

"…Don't ask questions you already know the answer to," he replied vaguely. "Let's say I _did. _I've no reason to be a part of this. The Fourth isn't my responsibility nor are the Excalibur fragments which belong to the _Church. _If I had claimed them as King Oberon that would have been a different story."

"…How much?" Serafall spoke up. "How much is it going to cost for you to get involved? You are still a mercenary, aren't you?"

"No," Issei objected. "He's done enough. We don't need his help."

"Have you a means of locating those in question, Issei?" Serene questioned. "I understand your discontentment towards Chase, but I plan on getting him involved by any means. Your friend was not the only one taken by the Vampire. My charge was also taken."

Issei growled but couldn't argue. He tried to use his perks to locate Yuuto and Xenovia, but they too were drawing up blank.

"It doesn't matter," Rolan argued. "I _can't _get involved. Until the results of our little Rating Game are settled, I will be making do with my promise. For any reason I am to not interfere in the lives of Issei Hyoudou and all those in close affiliation with him. Say whatever you want. I refuse to be a filthy liar like you, _Serene. _Even if it gets me killed."

"But that does not involve the Exorcist Xenovia," Serafall countered. "I am asking how much it would cost for you to perform a rescue operation for _her._"

It didn't take much for the rest to catch what she was implying. It was a major loophole. He would be strictly tracking the location of the Fourth and extracting Xenovia from the premises. In doing so they would find Yuuto at the same location and could _follow _Rolan at their own accord.

"Cute," Rolan clicked his tongue. "Let me rephrase it for you to understand then. I don't want to help them. I've no reason to get involved with the Church's problems nor to _indirectly _save Yuuto. If I can't have him wielding Excalibur then he's of no use to me. I've also evaluated every Exorcist archived on active duty. None of them seem to fit the role as the next Arthur, including Xenovia."

"Are you not King Oberon?" Rias argued. "Don't you have a responsibility to keep the Excalibur fragments away from the wrong hands?"

He gave her a dry look. "Define _wrong. _The Fourth? The Church? It was in just as terrible hands with Serene's people as it is now. If I didn't retrieve them then why would I do it now?"

"I don't see why you keep trying," Issei spoke up. "He's not going to help us. He's set on it. Just let him go."

"I can't do that," Serafall objected. "The only one capable of locating one Acolyte would be another one."

Issei… had _no _idea what that meant.

"You could try the Fifth," Rolan shrugged. "He's an Anti-Acolyte specialist; the fucker's augmented to fight us and he was one of the best back then. But, knowing him, he'd sooner betray all of you for simply being Devils. He has a strict no meta-human policy."

Serafall slammed her tea down onto the small table. Pure irritation crossed her face as she glared at the Sixth. "Chase Lance Rolan, the Devils do hereby acknowledge your resources, knowledge of our society, and your power. As such, we do hereby grant you the title of Demon Lord within the territory of America along with full privileges. That includes… what you've wanted from us the most. Your own set of Evil Pieces."

Rolan's face did not change in the slightest by her words. He adjusted the knot of his crossed arms but did nothing further. He continued to stare at Serafall for some time.

"I would have to charge you a rush fee, for starters," Rolan sneered as he opened his arms and counted with his fingers. "I have several contracts active and pending, so I'm going to be placing yours above them all. We're also dealing with an S-class opposition, so there's that fee. The price for extracting the target to safety. And the fee for having the job within the archipelago of Japan. You're looking at three hundred and seventy-five million in American dollar currency."

Issei's brow couldn't help but twitch at the absurdly large price. Rolan had given him a few hundred thousand to a few million depending on the job. But a few hundred million? That was just ridiculous.

"Does that include the discount for being a Sister Stealer?" Serafall asked with dry humor as she took a final sip of her tea.

"…Two hundred and seventy-five million," Rolan humored her still.

"…How kind of you," but Serafall wasn't amused. "And if I pay you in rare metals and jewels?"

Rolan's brows scrunched. "…Two hundred, even."

Serafall put her tea down and fully turned around to face the Sixth Predator. She extended her hand towards him. He hesitated for a moment before clasping his grip within hers. They shook once, never looking away from another as they sealed their deal.

"I will be coming to Japan as soon as my business in Egypt is complete. Then, feel free to accompany me at your own discretion. Just know if you interfere I will take it as an obstruction of my job and respond accordingly to make it so you _don't _do it again. I am also not responsible for _anything _that may happen during my job."

"Wai—"

Rias coughed into her hand when the Sixth Predator's eyes glowed neon. She pretended to have cleared her throat instead of finishing the one word he had warned them against. Not that she believed he would be able to kill her; she didn't want to make this any harder on Issei if he had to protect her.

"Why can't you just go right now?"

"Because he's not here," Serene answered. "His body is elsewhere while his familiar has been transferring his psyche and image through her body. The _coward _would never truly set foot in Japan unless absolutely necessary."

Rias sighed in irritation. "…Fine. How long will it take for you to get here?"

"As soon as my business in Egypt is complete," he repeated with an edge in his tone. "Hours? Days? No more than three."

"Three days?!" Rias jumped out of her seat.

"If you _can't _wait, I suggest you going out there and looking for him yourself," he snarled. "He is _your _Knight after all. Do expect others to bend backwards for you when you are relying _entirely _on them. Hadn't I already agreed to take the job, I would have dropped the proposal and left you to solve the problem on your own. Learn some humility, Gremory _girl._"

It was Rias' turn to glare absolute hatred onto the Sixth Predator. However, no matter how much it hurt her pride, she swallowed her feelings and said nothing further.

"…Mister Chase."

Eyes turned towards Asia, who had spoken in such a soft voice. She was looking at Rolan in hope-filled eyes. "Please? Kiba-kun is my friend. I know you're not a bad person. I… I'm sad because of the things you've done to Issei. But I don't believe you did those things because you're a bad person. You always brought the children and I gifts whenever you visited Sister Serene. I remember when you read us a story…"

Rolan stared at the blonde girl for some time. His expression never changed as his scowl of annoyance remained permanently etched onto his face. However… something glistened in his eyes. They had no idea what it meant.

"…When my business is complete," he repeated one final time.

Any further words could not be shared. His body disappeared in the next instant.

Issei leaned forward and pressed his chin against the top of Koneko's head. He released a heavy breath of pent-up aggression that had built up during his exchange with the Sixth. He closed his eyes and breathed in Koneko's strawberry-scented hair. She fidgeted in his lap, lifted her hand, and patted the top of his head. Just her being there did wonders on his stress level.

"If it is not too much trouble, I have further business with you, Issei," Serene spoke up.

He sighed and opened his eyes to look at her. He did not, however, lift his head off of Koneko.

"The Church will believe I am dead. I wish to keep it this way and so I am no longer affiliated with them. Irina here has been excommunicated by the authority of Saint Virtue. We are no longer welcomed in any House of the Lord. We have nowhere else to go."

Rias was the one to speak up, "…I can set up a place of residency for you. But that's all the sympathy I can offer."

"Your charity is much appreciated, but that is not what I am asking for," Serene replied in her soothing voice. "Be that as it may, I cannot speak for Irina. She may choose to accept your charity. For my part, I am afraid the Fourth knows my name. I trust you know what this means."

Koneko, of all people, was the one to hiss, "You won't help us."

Serene shook her head. "That is correct. I am unable to. However… if I were to… _remove _that which makes me a Living Saint…"

Rias eyes shot wide. "You… want to become… a Devil?!"

"S-Saint Serene, why?!" Irina spun around to face the Living Saint. "You… You would throw away the teachings _willingly_?! You would become an enemy of the Church!"

"The Savior descended into Hell after His death," Serene paraphrased. Had she recited the actual text the room full of Devils would have flinched. "I should live through his example. I am betraying nothing."

"If you _do _become a Devil…" Serafall spoke up. "That would make you _the _most powerful Devil, even greater than the Maous and Dragoon-chan _combined. _Your _Transfer of Sin _would make you a Devil with infinite amount of power. I am afraid I cannot allow that."

"I already have an… 'infinite amount of power'," Serene countered. "I possess all the sins of the world, all its evils and all its wickedness. And sin lives through me. Becoming a Devil will change nothing about it. However, I won't be able to call upon Miracles as a Living Saint. But my name will never be used against me again. It is a price I am willing to pay. What say you, Demon Lord Hyoudou Issei? Will you permit me to become the first member of your peerage?"

*Scene*

Xenovia's head was ringing when she started to drift back into consciousness. The room was dark. Her neck and back were aching. She tried to move but found her limbs bound against the wall she was hanging from.

She tried to look around. The room she was in was dark. Dank. Dreary. It was a dungeon of sorts as she could make out tables lain out in aisles with cabinets of instruments lined against the walls. She was shackled to the opposite wall. She felt her face heavy and stiff; her captor did not wipe off the blood off her face and just left her as she was. At the least they didn't do anything demoralizing to her. Yet.

There was movement at the other end of the dungeon. She did her best to remain idle, to appear to still remain unconscious while she tilted her head ever so slightly to see through her bangs. There were a set of people gathered around a table…

…With the blonde Devil strapped in.

"Now try to hold still," said the plump old man at the table's end, the one directing the others in what sick operation they were performing. "If you move around too much something important might get cut off."

He laughed, a loud roar echoing throughout the cold chamber in his perverse hilarity. Yuuto did not move because he was afraid of getting hurt. He _couldn't _move because the curse of the Fourth Predator was still present. Nothing he had done so far was by his own will. He could not even so much as sneer at the old man.

An old man he was more than familiar with. This was the man who lead the previous Holy Sword project, the secret human experimentation in which resulted in the death of all his friends and inevitably his own as a human being before turned into a Devil. This was the man he had gave his life in serving Rias for. So for one day to be struck down by Yuuto himself and avenge all those who were robbed of their lives. He was within his reach, but the curse of the Fourth was keeping him from creating a blade to finish the job.

"Why must you always play with your food, Valper?" a new figure strolled down the steps to the far end of the room with another individual following in his shadow.

"Ah, Kokabiel, old friend, when did you arrive?" the elderly man turned around and twirled the scalpel between his fingers.

Kokabiel. A former Angel of the Lord and one mentioned in the Book of Enoch.

"Just now," the black-haired Fallen waved a hand in dismissal as he approached the table. The one accompanied him moved to the far back and leaned against the wall, a look of disinterest across his face. "I've seen your hired help has retrieved the Excalibur fragments. You were right in recommending to get involved in this. Where is he? I would like to thank him."

"Oh… I am afraid that young man has run off for a night of sinful debauchery," the old man gave a sigh of woe. "His performances are at the utmost efficiency, but he is furthest from a true follower. I suppose it doesn't matter in the end if our goal is met, doesn't it?"

The supporting surgeons moved away from the table as Kokabiel grew closer. The Fallen peered down and examined the Devil laying across. "And who might this be? A Devil?"

Valper began to give a dark chuckle. "This one! Ah, this one. He is the survivor of the Holy Sword Project before my imprisonment. He's unlocked a most interesting Sacred Gear from the experimentation. The Sword Birth. I wouldn't have had any interest in the crafting of demonic weapons had not my research progressed so well through your support. I have need of him for what we have planned."

"Oh?" Curiosity got the better of the Fallen. "And what could such a Sacred Gear have to offer? I believe I only asked you to put the fragments back together, did I not?"

"That you did, that you did," Valper returned to Yuuto. "But I'm afraid even with all seven fragments gathered there is a certain… _something _missing to keep them together. Without it, then the sword itself would destabilize and more than likely wipe out this region of the island.

"I am going to shave off a few pieces of his Sacred Gear and place it inside the new Excalibur core. I am going to turn Excalibur into a Sacred Gear. Of course, this will take trial and error. So only a few shavings will be taken at a time. We'll need to keep him alive for as long as possible."

"…With Sword Birth?" questioned Kokabiel.

They both began to laugh at the thought. Sword Birth was a Sacred Gear in which could create demonic blades limited to the user's imagination and mystic energy to supply the materials. But with the ingenuity of the Fallens' knowledge on Sacred Gears plus Valper's expertise on all things related to Holy Swords, tweaking Sword Birth to be compatible with a holy blade was a childish problem.

If successful, they could create a brand new Sacred Gear. One in which could create as many Excaliburs as desired.

"And she?" Kokabiel turned and gazed at Xenovia.

The room was dark. She could barely make details of the figures meters away from her. But the gaze of the red-eyed Fallen told her he knew she was awake, observing them even. He also didn't bother to care. She was insignificant to him and only warranted his attention in the name of curiosity.

"Ah, _her," _there was something akin to childish enthusiasm in Valper's tone. "That young man said she was a natural Holy Sword wielder. After close examination we've found that to be true. We are not sure which sword she is linked with… but we have another team going over how to incorporate whatever weapon it may be into the new Excalibur."

Xenovia's chains rattled. They knew she was the possessor of another Holy Sword other than Excalibur Destruction. But… they also didn't know which blade she kept hidden.

"Yes, well," Valper cleared his throat as he turned Yuuto's head left and right, judging where to begin cutting. "Apparently this one belongs to that Gremory group, the one who houses the Dragoon Predator. That boy did well bringing him to me, but we've not much time on our hands. Sooner or later he will be coming to retrieve his friend."

Kokabiel laughed once more. "_Him? _I've no need to fear him. After all, that is why I've recruited the Grigori's own _Dragoon."_

The Fallen Angel waved his hand towards the figure leaning against the wall. He was tall with lean and useful muscle. He dressed in a dark jacket, had wild silver hair, and icy blue eyes.

Vali Lucifer, the White Dragon Emperor, returned with a daring smile. One that welcomed a worthy challenge he had been waiting three years to face.


	15. Amelia Rosewood

**A *cough* note from the *cough* author!**

Hello everybody! I'm finally back! As some of you might know, I've been unwell recently. Actually, I've been unwell for the past few years, nothing serious, but every so often it kicks up and renders me a zombie. I was able to overcome it with some rest and able to produce a new Doll Maker chapter, but was bedridden again afterwards.

The other half of the reason why this chapter took so long is because I posted a brand new story! It's called **A Zenith Outside the Heavens**, a HS DxD story crossing over with my most favorite series: the Night Angel Trilogy. I kindly ask you take a look at it; it's a one shot but I made a deal with someone to turn it into a trilogy if I can manage to get 25 reviews for the first chapter. It already has 20 reviews so... yeah. You guys should go read that.

Moving on, a guest asked if Gifts (you guys remember those right?) can evolve. No, they cannot. There are seven Gifts and each one needs a unique way of obtaining them. So if you have the Gift of Flight, it won't turn into anything else. It'll stay the same. Issei acquired another Gift from another method, from what you'll find about (sort of) in this chapter.

Um. Most other questions have already been answered either in PMs or through the forums. I strongly recommend you take questions in there so I can bulk-answer. Makes things easier for me. My writing will also be slow until I can overcome this, but rest assured I will be plowing chapters of this as fast as I can!

There was something else I needed to say. I always go over my author notes in my head every day and yet I can never remember what they are when the moment comes. Maybe I should start carrying around a small notebook or use the app on my phone...

Oh well. ON WITH THE *cough* SHOW!

* * *

**Betas:**

Third Fang (who smacked me around until I got the right idea)

Redmoon2 (who I can't remember what he did but did something important)

* * *

He said he wouldn't let it bother him. But the thought continued to plague him as the days rolled on. It was Friday morning when Issei woke up in the embrace of the two girls who loved him. Rias slept with her head resting against his chest on his right while Asia had her arms wrapped around his left and head against his shoulder. Their love for him seemed sincere, realistic towards him, but what did he know about love? The only girlfriend he ever had was one who had planned on killing him from the very start.

He held the two a little tighter as he took in both their sweet scents. He told himself over and over this was all real. Asia had shown signs of affection for him ever since the Ayame incident. And Rias… while she had been affectionate towards him always, the feelings of romance didn't happen until the Rating Game was concluded. But… were those just the machinations of a girl idolizing her hero?

The Gift of Seduction had told him the wings had been branded as soon as the Primordials [Twilight] and [Nothing] had seen his match against Raizer Phenex. He had no clue who they could be.

Just like how Ddraig had a completely different name compared to his Primordial title…

He tried to shove those thoughts down. But they refused to go away. This new pair of wings branded on his back refused to let the thoughts drift away. He said he accepted it if it was all a lie. Truly he was happy with them both. There was never a time when the silence of isolation surrounded him when they were around. He had missed being in the company of _anyone _for the longest time.

Like a mantra— no, it _was _a mantra— he told himself he was happy and prepared himself for the day.

Now… the tricky part was trying to get up without waking…

"Mmm… Gud morn'n Ise…" Asia rubbed her cheek against his shoulder as her dreary eyes fluttered open. She was still half asleep as she rubbed her eyes with one hand. Her hair was all over her face and there was a spot of drool running down her lips.

But to Issei, she still looked absolutely beautiful.

He gave her a warm smile, "Good morning Asia."

It was Rias' turn to awaken. The buxom Devil stirred and flexed her back, rubbing her bare breasts against his chest and arcing her back in the most provocative way only someone like Rias Gremory could pull off. Unlike Asia, Rias' appearance was as perfect as it had been when she went to sleep. Her teal eyes shone in full consciousness as soon as they looked into his.

"Good morning, Ise," she gave the most radiant of smiles to date. No, Issei would have to say each smile of every morning got brighter and brighter. While Rias Gremory had looks that was the jealousy of even the best of professional models, it was her charm that had captivated him.

He loved these girls so much.

"Good morning, Rias," he gave her an equally loving smile.

"Gowh!" both girls said at the same time when their heads banged against another. They had both tried to move in to steal the first morning kiss, as was their usual custom since the week began. At first it had been innocent, they took turns, but then after the second day any and all unspoken rules were thrown out the window.

"Asia, I'm trying to give Ise a morning kiss," Rias rubbed her brow.

Asia used her Twilight Healing to heal the small bruise on hers in a flash. She puffed her cheeks and argued, "B-Buchou! Ise was mine first! I should be the one to k-k-kiss him!"

"I am his King!" Rias countered. "Therefore I should have first claim over anything belonging to Issei."

"T-That's not fair!" Asia waved her hands around as she began to panic in a quickly losing battle. "I love Ise more than anything! I just want to give him a morning kiss!"

"I'm not stopping you, Asia," Rias snickered. "You can go after me."

"B-B-B-But then I'll be indirectly k-kissing B-B-Buchou!"

"Well… I'll be indirectly kissing you so we can't have that now, can we?"

There went the idea of a threesome… He hadn't even been able to bring up the proposal to them yet. Careful planning on his part just went up in smoke.

"Alright, how about we settle this definitely, Asia?" Rias sat up and crossed her arms, purposely under her breasts as to emphasize their excessive size.

Asia was caught staring at the mountain valley and went to go pat her flat plains. But a _small _difference in bust size mattered little to her. Issei had made love to her just as he did to Rias. He was a pervert who loved breasts of all size! She will not be defeated so easily!

Issei couldn't help but sweat at the sight of watching Asia go through some inner monologue that quickly changed her personality into a challenging one.

"Yes, Buchou!" she said with fierce determination… as fierce as a kitten trying to battle its ultimate enemy: the ball of yarn. "I accept! I won't give up Ise so easily!"

His instincts were screaming at him. Shit was about to go down and he was going to get caught up in the crossfire. Like the serpent that he was, Issei slivered his way under the sheets, crawled out of the bed, and opened the door so quietly it did not make a noise.

Rias' hand pressed against the door, shutting it and cutting off his escape. "Ise, we're going to need you for this one. So don't go anywhere, 'kay~"

The look in her eyes… there was no room for argument.

Yeah. Fuck that. This was all about living to see tomorrow!

He would have bolted for the window, even crashed through it if he had to, but Asia was already out of bed and in front of it. Her cheeks were puffed as she knew what he was about to do.

He took a deep breath of air as he looked past her. The morning rays of the sun, while a weakness to Devils, was a beautiful sight to behold. He stared directly into the rising sun even as it burned his eyes.

This might be his last sunrise.

"Y-Yes, Rias?" he asked after accepting the consequences about to befall onto him.

Rias moved away from the door and stood beside Asia… still as naked as the day she was born. The sunrays silhouetting her figure added depth to her allure.

"We're going to need you to decide. Which one of us will be receiving the first morning kiss?"

…Shit. He fully acknowledged he was an idiot and one who knew next to nothing about how to keep a healthy relationship. But even he knew there was no way to win in this situation.

He raised his hand and answered in a shaky voice, "I vote we go back to taking turns."

Rias tilted her head as she thought it over. Holy shit there may be a chance for him to live after all! "All right. I suppose we can do that. But who gets the first day?"

She smiled. A coy smile that said she knew what he had been attempting, had played along with it, and brought him back to square one.

"…Are we really arguing about this?" he sighed in a deflated tone. Ah, he recalled a time when he would fantasize about this situation and had come up with thousands of replies to various different sequences. It was a great age referred to as _last week. _He missed those days. If only he knew how much trouble having a harem would get him into…

Oh who was he kidding? This was still totally worth it.

"D-Does… Ise not want… a morning kiss from me?" Asia asked with disappointment. Her shoulders slouched as her head bowed. Those doe-like eyes continued to look at him as they began to glisten from tears beginning to threaten.

He was both praising and cursing his gods of debauchery. One of those fuckers had to have been responsible for the moé weapon that was the Puppy Dog Eyes. And Asia bore them with the equivalency of Predator rank. There was no denying their destructive power as its authority brought the strongest of wills to their knees.

"I WILL ALWAYS WANT ASIA'S MORNING KISS!" he shouted as though rejecting a Law of the World.

"T-Then Ise chooses me?!" Asia's smile lit up the world as her eyes sparkled in excitement.

He would have said yes had the cold _smile _coming from Rias clamped his mouth shut. It was a smile that said she wouldn't stop him from choosing Asia over her, but that there would be _consequences _for making such a decision.

He was drenching his shirt in sweat by this point.

_Ding dong!_

Someone rang the doorbell. But he wouldn't dare to move away. To use the door as an excuse had been the cause of death for many great protagonists in the romantic comedies he read.

"Ise…" Rias brought her slender fingers towards her lips while pressing her other arm under her bust to push her breasts up to flaunt. She tilted her head, puckered her lips, and gave the cutest pout no human being could ever pull off. "Do you not find me attractive anymore?"

The way she moved her hips, brought her legs around, pressed her breasts together, to even the face she was making made him fall to his knees. Every fiber of his being that was Hyoudou Issei, _the _greatest pervert in all of existence, was telling him to launch himself at Rias. But he stopped himself because he found himself in the same contradictory position. To choose Rias over Asia would have consequences.

Son of a bitch, there's no way to win this one!

_Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding…_

Whoever was at the door continued to tap the button and didn't show signs of stopping anytime soon.

It got Rias and Asia both to look out his window (the poor old lady across the street watering her flowers had spotted the naked Rias and passed out). But by the angle of his room towards the door they couldn't tell who it was disturbing them.

"I'm going to go check that out…" Issei said as the doorbell continued to ring.

"This isn't over, Ise!" Rias shouted but didn't stop him from going.

Seconds after climbing down the stairs and crossing the hallway, Issei unlatched the bolts and opened the door. Finally, the ringing stopped.

"Good morning, Master," Saint Serene of Finland greeted with an eastern bow. "Forgive me for the annoyance but I had sensed… misfortune was upon you."

"Eh?" Issei blinked. "Serene did you do that so Rias and Asia…?"

"A Queen is to pull her King out of the fire in times of need, is she not?" Serene asked as she and Irina stepped past him to enter. She sat down at the first step and unlatched her combat boots.

"Good morning, Ise-kun~" cheered the ever chipper Shidou Irina. She gave a solute and a wink as she tossed the grocery bag around in her arms.

"Oh, uh, good morning Shidou-san," Issei greeted and hid a little further behind the door. He was only dressed in a white shirt and boxers.

Irina puffed her cheeks similar to how Asia and Serafall would. She wagged a finger at him, "Ise-kun! How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Iri-kun!"

"But… you're a girl…" Issei muttered but tossed the thought away. He simply couldn't understand what went through this girl. He knew he will never understand women but _this _particular one was beyond even a decimal of understanding.

He also didn't understand how she continued to look at him with such hope-filled eyes. Even during those times he gave in to her demands she didn't seem any happier. It was strange to him; he didn't know what else he was supposed to do. Sherry also looked at him the same way on that day he walked her to school. And at the end, when he sucked it up and allowed her to call him 'Ise-nii', she kicked him in the shin (again) and stormed away (hopping on one foot) to her class.

"…You're not my Queen yet," Issei returned to Serene as he closed the door and reset the locks. In habit, he made sure the secondary seals of protection were still active and hidden from anyone's detection. "I don't have any Evil Pieces."

"But we have both agreed I am to become your Queen when they arrive," she answered in her usual tranquil tone. "I make do with my promises, Master. A silly trinket won't change the oath I swore to you. I intend on supporting you most indefinitely to the best of my abilities."

They had argued about this back and forth within the past few days. And right now would have made no difference as they would have repeated the same skit whenever this topic was brought up. However, Issei found a reason to just go along with it for now.

He fell to his knees, bowed his head to the floor, and began to openly weep. "T-Thank yoooouuuuuuu! R-Rias and Asia… I thought I was going to diiiiieeeeeeeee!"

"There, there, Master," Serene knelt down before him and patted his head soothingly. "I will always be here to save you from your own incompetence."

Her words brought a sharp pain to his heart. But they had got him to stop crying.

She stood and walked deeper into the house. "Now go and prepare yourself for the day, Master. One should always be presentable towards their peers, even within the abode of their own den. Irina, please help me prepare breakfast."

*Scene*

Within the hour, the remainder of the Occult Research Club had gathered around the table. There weren't enough chairs to go around but some pulled stools from the kitchen counter to be a part of the crowd. While Serene and Irina's morning omelet looked appetizing, Issei wasn't hungry and so allowed Koneko to sit on his lap and have his portion. Serene as well ate nothing except to drink a cup of coffee. It was Irina who pouted about him not trying her home cooking.

To most spectators, this would appear to be a wondrous morning. Everyone was gathered around to enjoy a family meal before the day began. Nothing but harmless misfortune and witty bantering went back and forth across the table and during the time when everyone was preparing for the day. It would appear everything was peaceful.

It wouldn't be until the spectators would take a second look to see there were far too many horrible things hidden within plain sight.

Koneko was nibbling on her meal in small bites. She was hungry but she hadn't the appetite to eat her normal large portions. And she would never sit on Issei's lap during meal times like this one.

There was strain in Akeno's smile, better to be described as a thin line with hardly a curve. She hadn't teased Issei all morning.

Rias was probably the worst of it. Little did anyone know she and Issei hadn't slept a wink on the night before. He had skipped sleep and then the following school day searching throughout the city for signs of Yuuto or the Fourth. He hadn't known Rias had done the same thing. They broke out in a heated argument as soon as he learned upon returning home. She hadn't been able to sleep knowing her Knight was abducted by the vilest of Predators. But to go searching for him by herself warranted terrible trouble.

One does not find a Predator. _They _find whoever is looking for them. The Fourth should know they were looking for him. Had Rias been close enough to his location, just enough to make him react…

She had wanted to keep looking. He made her stop. Fatigue was getting to her and her mind was breaking down from the stress. It wouldn't be until a few hours before dawn could she calm down enough to sleep. But he hadn't missed the tears and small whimpering of a nightmare as she slept.

He looked around the table. Each and every one of the Occult Research Club had bags under their eyes.

He held Koneko a little closer, drawing in the comfort of her companionship. For being an Ultimate Killer, one who could use the World to locate their target anywhere on the planet, he felt _useless _being unable to perform the one task he was built for. They were probably all feeling the same way. They were rendered to being entirely dependable on Sixth Predator Rolan… _whenever _he shows up.

"Ise-kun," Irina spoke up as she pointed her chopsticks in his direction, "You need to eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"

"…My metabolism is a little different than yours," he returned with.

"A Devil's metabolism isn't that much different from a human's…" she pouted and called him out on his words.

He sighed but said nothing else. He didn't know who this girl was and wasn't very comfortable with her being so chummy with him. When Virtue and Xenovia suggested killing Asia to… absolve her of her sins for becoming a Devil, Irina had said nothing against it. And now she was pretending it never happened. Church zealot or not, it was still a mark against him. There was no need to tell her about his draconian nature. After all, to her he was nothing more than a Devil, an enemy of the Church and Heaven.

Still, he tolerated her because he could sympathize with her. Irina was thrown out of the Church and forbidden from offering prayers to God. It was worse for her because she refused the offer of becoming a Devil; Irina was still human but was fully rejected from prayer. It didn't stop her from trying, however. Before the meal she offered a prayer of thanks, received pain in response, and plowed her way through until the last line of the verse before banging her head against the table to counter the raging headache.

It was her way of denying the Evensong. Her own way of telling herself God was still alive and willingly denying her the right to offer prayers in His name.

His eyes went over towards Asia. She had approached him and asked if he knew about the Evensong. He could not deny it; he answered her in a heavy heart and fully accepted whatever vice she would lash out with. But, bless her heart, Asia had thanked him instead for keeping it a secret from her. She never believed he did it to be cruel but only to protect her. But it didn't stop her from crying; he held her for several hours, even long after she had stopped crying.

No one around the table brought up the Evensong ever again. They never even asked about the other two parts of the ballad or what other horrible secrets it held.

"Irina means well, Master," Serene spoke before taking a sip of her coffee. "While she is concerned with your health, she really wants you to try the omelet she worked hard to make. It is polite to return the favor of a maiden. If you are not hungry, perhaps you should indulge her of this moment?"

Irina gave the Living Saint a thankful smile before turning her eyes back towards Issei. She looked at him with pleading eyes and a small hint of red in her cheeks.

Regardless, the moment wouldn't happen. Koneko's hand was a blur as she stuffed every piece of egg of both hers and his helpings into her mouth. With the last piece gone, she placed her chopsticks down and wiped her mouth clean.

She glared at Irina with a piercing gaze. "…There's no more room."

"…Eh?" Irina blinked.

There was a fire in Akeno's eyes as she said her piece. "We've discussed this before with Ise-kun. There's only one space available and I'm afraid Sona-kaichou has that reserved."

"…Eh?!" It was Issei's turn to be startled. "Wait, wait, wait. What are we talking about now?"

"Nothing that demands your immediate attention, Master," Serene answered. "Allow your Queen to settle this matter. Irina, why don't you prepare Issei another serving?"

"Ano… Sister Serene, there's not enough time…" Irina looked up at the clock by the kitchen.

"There is always time if you are willing to make it," Serene countered. "Do not let a little discouragement stop you. They are only threatened by something they are not willing to share."

The clatter of utensils stopped as all the girls turned to look at Serene, who remained as poised and calm as she always had. Issei had no idea what was going on but his instincts were telling him he had been dragged into a war. Irina had the right mind to get up and head over towards the kitchen, though she walked backwards as to never expose her back to anyone in the dining area.

"That's quite the bold statement, _Obasan,_" Akeno's smile returned as it twisted in her perverse glee.

Serene returned the look with an impassive one. "…Yes, I suppose it would be. Do well to remember the thoughts of my master and I may forgive you this once."

Akeno's brow twitched as Serene accused _her _of being in the wrong.

"…Ise-sempai is _ours,_" Koneko stated.

Patiently, Serene shook her head, "I am afraid that is where you are mistaken. From my observations I have determined the roles are reversed. You are his, not the other way around. If it is in Irina's interest to join then it is he who may decide to accept her. Not you. Please understand this. Continue this way of thinking and you will cause more stress for Master."

Issei tried to say something. But Rias, who was sitting at his right, put her hand in front of his mouth to keep him quiet.

"While I respect your… dedication, Serene-san," Rias began. "Don't you think you're the one intruding? You're not even his official Queen yet."

"I have no intentions of interrupting your habits," Serene returned in a tone that suggested she had practiced this response. "What you have right now is wonderful. But love is not a material to be hoarded. It is to be shared. And Irina deserves her fair share. After all, she has claims lasting far longer than before you knew him."

"Can I just say something?!" Issei blurted out before anyone could stop him.

"Yes, of course," Serene looked at him and gave him her full undivided attention. "What is troubling you, Master, and how can I fix this?"

Alas, he never got the chance to question what they were talking about. Rias beat him to the punch. "_Why _do you keep calling him that? The other day you called him by his name. I'm sure your duty to him wouldn't change."

Serene's attention was still locked on Issei, still patiently awaiting him to speak. He could only sigh and gesture for her to answer Rias' question first. A part of him wanted to know why Serene was so… devoted to her new role. She wanted to throw away her title as a Living Saint in order to be rid of her weakness now that the Fourth knew her name; that was her given reason. But she didn't need to bend backwards for him.

"To show I am serious about my allegiance," she answered. "As Third and Eighth, we both stand on fair grounds in terms of might. If I were to address him any differently then there would be a contest of authority in due time. Just as he has warded off any negative attention from the Devil society by being in absolute obedience towards you, I shall do the same. When I am no longer a Living Saint, I shall still follow his every command as he is the one I entrusted my name with.

"While I am sure there are many more suitable titles or honorifics of your customs I can use in replace of it, I call him Master because I am aware of his particular fetishes. I can forever be in his good graces by being a nun and a maid."

It was a good thing he wasn't drinking anything. It would have been spat out. Instead, he began to choke on his own spit.

Rias eyes narrowed. "_Sister _Serene, are you telling me you have an… _interest _in my Pawn?"

"I have no such lustful desires," Serene denied. "I am merely saying the probability of me being in an inappropriate situation or bound to a similar order is lessened if I am to remain in his good graces. If I play along, so to speak, the window of opportunity for me to slip out of a mess is that much greater. At the least, this is what the World is telling me as a Predator.

"But be warned, _Master,_" this time she looked directly at him. Though her face was as stoic as it had always been, there was something grievously dark in her eyes. "If you are to repeat your actions since the Vatican two years ago I will be very upset with you. My oath dictates I not deny it if you are to ask it of me, but I will not be responsible if you, shall we say, fall down the stairs and break your neck."

Issei began to visibly shake as he recalled the mistake he made back when he first met both Ludwig and Serene. Ludwig had wanted to introduce Issei to Serene and so invited him over for a lunch with the Third since he had business with the Church. Issei went along, got a little lost, and found the Paladin trainee dorms.

They were all girls between the ages of twelve to sixteen. Dressed in either those skin-tight leotards the Exorcists wore or slender black robes similar to what Serene wore.

It was the last thing he remembered. He found himself crying in his bed in the fetal position… some few days after the incident.

Though his mind couldn't recall any of the finer details, his body remembered in full. Before anyone could question him, and before Koneko realized she was sitting on the chair instead of her comfortable lap pillow, Issei was sulking in the corner of the room. His back was to everyone, hugging his knees in comfort, and sobbing apologies in a mantra.

"…Um," Asia raised her hand. "What happened two years ago at the Vatican?"

Issei's sobbing grew harder.

Serene's brows knitted together. The gesture alone made the room freeze as her angelic patience had been broken. "A certain dragon lay siege to a village and kidnapped all of their maidens. A certain Dragon Slayer and Divine Beast were called to slay this monster and rescue the girls. Not a drop of blood was spilt but… many tears were shed as every maiden's innocence was seen…"

"EEEHHHHHH?!" Irina returned with a plate of fresh food in her hands. "THAT was Ise-kun?!"

"I-I-I-Ise was the one responsible for _that_?!" Asia's face blushed up a storm.

"Ara ara~" cackled Akeno as she brought her hand over her mouth. "To think Ise-kun's desires were this strong to go against two of his peers, especially one who is his natural enemy. This gives me so many ideas. I suppose I can tolerate you a little longer, Oba-san."

"…Just what did Ise… You know what, never mind. I don't think I want to know," Rias sighed and went back to finishing her meal.

Time had passed as the uneasiness of the room was lifted by a margin. Though there was a heavy atmosphere from the recent events, chatter began to pick up. Rias asked how Asia was doing with her studies, to which the former nun said she continued to struggle with her katakana. Irina and Serene shared a quiet conversation to their selves… with mostly Serene giving suggestions on how to sway Issei's heart. Akeno jumped in at this— at first to reject and ridicule those ideas but instead found to be taking notes at Serene's obscene knowledge of the seductive arts. _Nothing _was off limits.

Koneko had gone across the room to pat Issei's back, trying to get him to stop sobbing over his repressed memories.

It was eventually time for them to begin their day. Their messes were cleaned, their things were gathered, and everyone began to leave together. However, Issei had suggested he stay behind to have a private conversation with his new Queen. Rias had wanted to stay with him the most but could not deny he was going to be a King. As much as she couldn't trust Serene, she had to trust Issei and accept his newfound duties.

She couldn't help but frown at that thought. As soon as his Pieces were to arrive… he would stop being her Pawn.

She kissed him goodbye, making a comment about her victory for having the first kiss of the day over Asia, and left with her peerage.

"…Irina," Serene looked squarely at her charge. "Please excuse us. Return to the apartment complex until I retrieve you."

Serene was no longer her superior. But there was a… familial respect between the two of them. Serene the mother figure and Irina the precious daughter blooming yet still learning. Irina nodded and went to take the plate of food Issei hadn't touched back to the kitchen, but Serene placed a hand over it and gestured her to leave it. Irina did, gave a polite goodbye to Issei, and went on her way. It wasn't missed how she looked at him with the same hope-filled eyes as always.

"What can I do for you, Master?" Serene began once the door was closed. They were cut off from the outside world. The interior of the house might as well be its own dimension with how the Sorcerer Richard Royals set up his defenses. Nothing could get in and nothing could get out without Issei's permission. It was the perfect place to hold such a conversation.

"…Thank you, Serene, for this morning," Issei began as he took his seat across of her at the table… not his original seat where the still steaming omelet rested. He truly didn't have an appetite and, for the matter, didn't remotely like Irina. He had no reason to show her such kindness when it hadn't been given to him or Asia.

His gratuity was vague, but Serene nodded in understanding. He wasn't talking about the hiccup he had woken up to with Rias and Asia. He was referring to everyone's mood. "It is my duty to lessen your burden to the best of my abilities. You love them, I can see this. You are hurt when they are. But understand this is nothing more than a placebo. Until the problem is fully solved they will return to their grieving."

She had warped everyone's viewpoint, stabbed at their sensitivities, and made herself a threat to their personal lives. She had done this so they could have a moment to forget about the realities they must live through. It was a cruel kindness, almost pointless, but needed. For a moment of time, the group had been back to their old selves.

"I trust this is not why you are demanding a private audience with me," she more so stated than asked. Her coffee was cold. She muttered something under her breath, something in a language his Devil tongue couldn't understand, and perhaps it had been just ramblings. A black stream lifted out of the drink and sank into her hands. They turned blue and shriveled as though shoved in arctic snow for years. But as soon as it came, her hands had returned to normal.

And the coffee was steaming once more. She sipped it with her peaceful grace as if such agonizing pain had meant nothing to her. There was not so much of a twitch from the drawback of her Transfer of Sin.

Issei had realized at some point what Rolan had meant about her being a liar. About how everything about her was a lie. Just as he suppressed his draconian energy to maintain the illusion of a human being, Serene was doing just the same. Every sin she had taken hadn't simply gone away or stored tight in some internal safe. If a sick man was healed, she would inherit that illness. Burns, wounds, and crippling defects would transfer onto her body. Mental diseases and handicaps would be brought onto her. Her duties as a Living Saint had her 'healing' anyone brought to her just as the same Asia had done.

Her real body still carried all of these sins and reflected them. Her real body was a husk, a deformed chunk of meat and bone that shouldn't be able to stand let alone live. The pain alone should have killed her. But instead of being burdened by this, Serene had appeared as healthy as any other human being. No, she looked beaming with perfection. The polar opposite of what she truly was.

She was walking, breathing chaos given corporeal form. And her Saintly name was _Serene. _

"Do you know why I've accepted you being my Queen?" he began after a moment, after watching her absorb the sin from the coffee (seriously, a cold drink could be considered a vice?) and drink it.

Her emerald eyes watched him closely. He wouldn't respond until she would. "I have been curious why you were accepting of my proposal so hastily. Your reasons have little to do with the happenstance of the Fourth, I presume, but it was not my place to question."

"…Serene, I have three questions for you," he said while rapping his fingers against the surface of the table. Her eyes flickered towards the sound— a small twitch of displeasure or annoyance, whatever it was, before it had gone away. Still, for someone as tranquil as Serene who rarely showed any other emotion, she may as well have flipped the table. He stopped and placed his hands on his lap.

"First, why do you want to be my Queen? I'm sure Serafall-sama would have accepted you or any other of the other Maou. I have nothing to offer you and that's where I have to ask why come to me specifically. I can't help but feel like you're using me for some other scheme I can't see. You did it with Asia and you put her in extreme danger. And you expect me to just accept you as my _Queen_? Even as an apology for everything I can't fully accept that."

Her head tilted slightly, barely a fragment he could have missed if he had so much as blinked. She gave a slow blink, drawing out as much time as possible. "And yet, I _am _your Queen in the end. If I may prepare, what are your other two questions?"

He scowled but indulged her. "What can you give me to prove I can trust you? And _why _should I?"

She gave a steady nod, one of understanding and respect for his insight. They were straightforward questions and once she couldn't avoid. She needn't a moment to think of her answers. "For your first question, I shall not deny I am using you. But before I delve further, I ask you keep this to yourself. I wish to speak to you as… Amelia Rosewood, if I may be permitted."

His brows creased further from a scowl to one of confusion. She was not talking about being Saint Serene of Finland, as Third Predator, or even as his new Queen. She was speaking of her personal self, the one she kept under lock and key. He didn't fully understand why she would need such a mindset of multiple names and personalities. But he nodded and gestured for her to continue.

He became rattled. She _sighed. _A heavy sigh of woe and tiredness, of age and trauma, of relief as weights had been casted off her shoulder. For the first time since… ever, Serene— Amelia looked at him with a face full of emotion.

For the first time, he was seeing her as a woman. As a human being. She was as beautiful as she was flawed. She was as mighty as she was withered.

"I know not what town I was born, only that I was transported out at a very early age from Italy."

Issei opened his mouth but quickly shut it. This wasn't the answer he was looking for— in fact, it was probably the _furthest_ from an actual answer. But he decided to be patient and see where this went.

"My mother was Italian while I never knew my father. The man was weak and had fled the country when threatened slightly. My mother inherited his debts and struggled to keep me." She gave a dark snicker. "She too was weak, perhaps more so than my father. She whored herself, they told me, but not to provide for the two of us. She did it for drugs. The debts continued to grow until she…"

She trailed off. Her eyes beamed at the dark liquid in her hands. There was such unspeakable levels of wrath in those eyes. A hairline crack appeared at the rim of the mug.

"You were sent to a church orphanage after she…?" Issei became uneasy at her sudden story, but listened to every word. There was a point to her telling, he was sure— and hoped— of this.

She smiled. The room grew darker as her sins leaked into the air. The light of the sun faded as if night had fallen. She shook her head, her smile collapsed, and the darkness returned to her body. The light shone once more.

"She did not take her life, if that is what you are assuming. To pay off her debts, my mother sold me to a slave cartel, to which I would be taught how to seduce men by the time I turned seven years old."

He felt like throwing up. He put his hand up to cut her off. "Why… why are you telling me this?"

"I wish to answer all three of your questions at once, plus any other that may come up in the future," she looked at him with eyes of such depth he couldn't believe this was Serene of Finland. "If I am to be your Queen for the rest of our days, I wish to… lay everything out onto the table, so to speak. I wish for you to know everything about me and fully judge me for what I am. I do not wish to be your Queen if you know nothing about me and must keep me at a distance."

He wanted to argue. He didn't want to hear anything further about her past. Inwardly, he hoped there was a happy ending to this story but reality was never so charitable. It was rude and it was cruel of him to refuse her of this. He could only brace himself and gesture for her to continue.

She thanked him with sincerity— heart wrenching sincerity as if he had given her the ultimate kindness— and went on. "I'll not dive into my… _experience _of those days. I wish to never remember them. But there is one memory I live with every day, every moment, every second. It never goes away. It is a reminder to who I am and shall always be.

"It was what makes me a Predator."

"…The mindset?" he couldn't help but ask. It was a theory of his but didn't have any information to prove it. As soon as he had become a Predator, the World itself enforced whatever set of thought and emotion he had at the time to be forever channeled through him. His was the drive for vengeance, to inflict tremendous pain on those who have wronged him or had wronged those whom he loved. To simply kill those who have wronged the innocent, no matter who they were or for what they have done.

Amelia nodded. "Mine is… acceptance. The world is exactly as how it currently is until some outside force changes it. No one was going to save me. My life was on borrowed time until I upset my owners, clients would stop paying for me, or I could no longer provide the services. I would sooner be dead by the time I was old enough to have a child. I was replaceable. I accepted this.

"I accepted _I _needed to be the one to change my life. When I had come to this realization, the World had acknowledged me as Third Predator. I did not know what it meant at the time, and I was terrified of all the perks that came with it invading my mind and senses. It was the first time I used my _Transfer of Sin. _All the sins inflicted upon my body, all the years of horrific indulgences I suffered, were unleashed at once to all who stood in my way. Such concentration of sin killed my owner and his bashers. The other children were free, of course, but I cared very little for them. No, I cared not for them. They meant nothing to me. I was free and could live life however I desired, that was the only thing that mattered to me.

"Of course, I didn't get very far," she said with dark humor. A twisted smile crossed her face as she shook her head. "My _Transfer of Sin _had alerted every supernatural being within a fifty mile radius of my presence. Most, I'm sure, cowered or fled. But the ignorant, arrogant, and desperate approached me.

"The Church eventually won my allegiance. But not out of the purity of their deeds or the righteous morals of their God. Saint Traverse, a Living Saint with the tongue for understanding of all things within the world, had… shall we say… read my mind, heart, soul, whichever you wish to call it. He learned of my name and used it against me. He bound me to an oath I could not say no. He claimed to do this for the good of my being and for my safety, and perhaps he was true, but I could not forgive him. Nor could I ask him by the time I matured— he had died before I grew out of my teenage years.

"I was bound to the will of the Church and heralded as a Living Saint. Their teachings were shoved down my throat and I could not refuse them. And because of my mindset as a Predator, I accepted them. But I never once embraced them. I preach the Gospel of the Lord, but never cared for them. I remove the Church's enemies, but I care not at all for if it is in the name of all that is 'right and just'. I was Saint Serene of _Finland, _the Church's most powerful weapon and a Predator they had around a working leash.

"I was infuriated when I learned the Heavenly Father had long perished by the hands of the Earth Mother. Infuriated because I could not deliver the sin he had wrought onto me back onto his self. But I accepted my revenge will never come.

"I have tried a number of times to break free. All attempts have failed and I will not deny I have my doubts with this one. My first attempt was to have Sir Rolan fake my death and hide me away. It had worked for some time, but word always gets out. The Church eventually found me and forced me back. My second attempt was with Saint Purity, the Candidate of New York, who is the only Living Saint not bound to the restrictions we have against our name. I wished to learn her secret but found her… _Rapture of Innocence _is immune to both the concepts of good and evil, of sin and virtue. I could never be like her.

"But…" her eyes narrowed with emotions he couldn't read. "While I doubt, I am confident in this ploy. It has been confirmed a Living Saint loses their grace once turned into a Devil. At least… I am the only one who knows this information."

Issei leaned forward. He had listened intently and had found something within the last of her words. "The Fourth. _How _did he learn your name?"

"…The Church has many enemies," she explained, though there was some strain in her voice as if she didn't fully believe her own words. "I have created many of them. The only ones who know a Living Saint's name are only those who willingly give it… or take it through force such as my mentor. I can only theorize there is a traitor amongst the Church's ranks who wished me dead, who did not know the full aspects of my _Transfer of Sin. _Someone of the newer generation or one I have never worked with."

He leaned back this time. "I thought you said you used… um… what was it called?"

"Creyroux," she answered, reciting the name of her blade with an accent he couldn't originate. It was also something she hadn't shared with him during her story. As if sensing this, she blinked and elaborated further, "It is a… Sacred Gear, in a sense. Perhaps the foremost prototype as it has been known by other names throughout the centuries. The Church has confirmed it as the Lost Sword of Saint Michael, the Blade of Mars, the Sword of Julius Caesar, and Red Hilt. It is… the… catalyst that channels my _Transfer of Sin._

"Much like the Sacred Gears, Creyroux rarely awakens in every generation. But when it does… Predators are always guaranteed. And as the world continues, as humanity thrives, as new evils are born and some grow darker, Creyroux grows with it. Sir Rolan believes it was meant to be used by God in the original Evensong against the Earth Mother, when its power was at its peak."

"If its name is Clue… Clur… Cwuh… _that, _why does it have alternative names?"

"Punning on my part," she said with a snarky edge. "Most who know the language know it as 'Salvation Blood'. But, given the root of the two words it makes up with some of the… slang used at the time, it has an alternative meaning: 'Blood Stained White Rose'."

"You never went back to my question, any of them," he returned to the topic at hand after noting what he could about her Transfer of Sin. "If anything, it makes me want to turn you away further."

"If such were the case then you would have never accepted me to begin with," she countered. "You, against the advice of your King and Serafall Leviathan, agreed to my terms almost immediately. There is a reason for this; your questions are only a means to quell your personal issues when you've resolved yourself on a professional level already. You placed me as your Queen before you could trust me, if you ever could or will at all.

"You ask why I wish to be a Queen? To escape the Church. Why _you_? Because you are the only one without such a hubris to use me as a weapon. You and I are equals and I willingly choose to bow to you— a choice the Church had robbed of me. Only one of our kind can look at us as _people_— all else look at us as monsters or the most powerful weapons to wield.

"What can I give to have you trust me? I have _nothing _to give. My name is all I have and once I become a Devil it will have no worth. I cannot give you Creyroux any more than you can hand over the Boosted Gear. I can give you my word, a promise, but such only has the value of your trust in the first place; then it is worthless.

"Why should you trust me? That is for you to answer. It is not mine to give."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Why couldn't you just tell me that instead of giving me your life story?"

"It is harder to hate the enemy when you can sympathize with them," she said calmly and then finished her coffee. "But I am not your enemy. I wish to be your friend, Issei Hyoudou. Telling you anything at this point won't change your judgment. You've already decided what to do with me as soon as you said yes. Now, if I may be polite, Master, I would like to know why you agreed."

_I told you my darkest secrets, I deserve the right to know,_ was what she practically said. He _felt _obligated to answer her after all that.

"…I want you close to me… so I can keep my eye on you," he said in a low tone. "You're right, I don't trust you and I probably never will. You can stab me in the back or do things to those I love as soon as I turn away for a second. I know the risk and I'm willing to take it. Yeah, I'm gambling on _their _lives as well and I know I have no right. But I'll take my chances if it means I can catch wind of any of you planning anything. I'm tired of being in the dark. I'm tired of you pushing me around.

"I need to man-up for the Evensong, I get it. But I'm sick of _how _you're making me. By targeting those I care about? Ayame, Asia, Sona, and Kiba? I am… frustrated. I am _this _close to saying fuck you all and just… _destroying _everything. The headquarters of the Church, the British Isles, Los Angeles— every place I can think of where you people come from. Is that really what you want? To just start killing indiscriminately until I lose the last shed of humanity I've been struggling to keep? Your mindset is acceptance, well, mine is a little less forgiving since it's just pure bloodlust and rage.

"I am Eighth Predator, the Dragoon. I am more than ready for the Evensong and will prove it to all of you."

She nodded in acceptance, as she had to accept everything since it was what made her a Predator. But there was… more in her expression. Heartbreak. With a finger tracing the crack she made on the mug, black dust gathered at her tip, shattered her nail and skin, but then reset almost immediately afterwards. The mug was fixed.

She stood and cycled around the table. He watched her carefully, his body tense and ready. His senses did not alert him to any potential harm; simply having her near him put him on edge from her presence alone.

"…May I?" she asked, gesturing a hand towards his general direction.

His brows knitted. He didn't know what she was going to do to him. He should have refused; his Predator instincts might not have detected any warnings but the back of his mind was telling him otherwise. Perhaps it was just paranoia. Perhaps it was just in his nature to not trust any other Predator for everything they had done.

She walked behind him. Still, his instincts did not flare. But he was prepared to move at the slightest inclination she would try anything. He had gotten a lucky shot against the Fourth by blasting his head off with a Dragon Shot without having any intentions of killing him. She could be suppressing such thoughts and intentions from the World just as well. For all its greatness, there were far too many holes within the Predator system.

He nearly jumped out of his seat when she wrapped her arms around his neck and slid her face close to his. He was ready to throw her off, to throw her out the window and let her body evaporate within the black void between his house and the outside. But she shuddered; and that shudder made him stop.

"I'm sorry…" she spoke in a low voice he barely heard with both his draconian senses and from the close proximity. Her shuddering… she was crying. He could feel the liquid reach his cheek. She held him tighter and bow her head into his hair. "You don't deserve this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please hate me the most. I hate the Church, more than anything. I learned… Asia… I couldn't let her stay there. I used you to have her escape. I jumped at Rolan's proposal to save her, knowing it would damn you. I'm sorry. Hate me. Never forgive me. You never deserved this and I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"…What… What are you talking about? What about Asia?" his head snapped at attention at the mentioning of her name.

He almost missed the answer. She spoke softly into his ear, but it was mixed with her sobbing and some words he couldn't make out. But there were two words in there that was all he needed to hear to gain the full picture.

Asia was a…

*Scene*

"Oh, I'm sorry, please excuse me," Asia said after sneezing. While Rias would wait patiently for Issei at the front gates, Asia had a mission to fulfill. Just in case things weren't as they hoped, Koneko was just outside the window. Akeno was stationed on the roof opposite of the classroom to gain a clear view. On the chance Issei showed up, Rias would stall him for as long as possible until they could confirm their priority.

"Matsuda-san is still absent?" Asia walked up to the speckled friend of Issei and gestured towards the empty seat at his side.

"I guess so," Motohama responded as he was polishing a series of lenses for his camera set. No doubt something he was going to use for his own daily mission. At first he had been excited at meeting Asia, but Issei had been _extremely _protective of her. Now he would never dare crossing the line, especially since the guy threw them out of the classroom— through the second story window, at that—almost daily. "Tried calling him a few times but I can't get a hold of him. Went to his house just yesterday and no one answered the door. Issei doesn't know what's up either."

She only nodded, gulped, and braced herself for the next stage of the plan. The Occult Research Club gave the signal to say they were in position and ready.

Asia stepped forward, fear nearly consuming her to the point she almost backed down. But she needed to do this. It had been decided to find the truth out on their own rather than Issei. Motohama looked up and nearly fell out of his seat at the closeness.

She bent over, glared as fiercely as she could with determination on her face, and brought her hands up to his face.

She pulled on his cheeks as hard as she could.

"Au, au, au, au, au!" Motohama squealed and waved his arms around frantically. But he never fought against her. Hell, this was the closest he'd ever gotten to a girl… other than the beatings from the kendo team.

Asia released him and the breath of air she had been holding in probably as soon as they decided to do this on their own. The pressure washed out of her, almost deflating her like a balloon without its air. She felt ready to cry right then and there out of sweet relief.

Seeing the task complete and everything in the clear, the Occult Research Club carried on with their daily business.

The classmates, however, were glaring daggers at Motohama for virtually nothing. They only saw Asia on the verge of tears and immediately assumed the worst.

"O-Oi, Argento-san!" Motohama pleaded with her. "Can you tell me what that was about?"

She blinked. And then blushed in embarrassment. She had been so worried about him being the Fourth in disguise she didn't know what to do if he was innocent. They all had worked on the plan in great detail but had forgotten such a crucial point!

"I'm sorry, Motohama-san," she said instead, bowed, and fled out of the room.

"W-Wait, Argento-san!" Motohama tried to get her to stop. No good could come out of this situation. He had done nothing. Nothing! And because of her little charade his classmates were out to draw blood against him. He groaned; he knew what he had to do else suffer _again._

He jumped out of the window and aimed for the bushes. Contrary to the legends regarding perverts, there was a reason why Motohama could survive against anything Issei could throw at him. He had his body pummeled thoroughly from the dragon's wrath so many times. Oh yes, Motohama knew well what Issei was. He also knew what Asia Argento and her company had been tried to find out.

After all, Motohama, or at least the one who bore that name, was a Dawn Blade of Fifth Predator.

There was no need to report to Predator Philips. The Fifth had already seen everything through the eyes of his Dawn Blade.

As soon as Motohama hit the bushes, it was not he who surfaced. Someone else did. He was a tall young man at six and a half feet. His features were… indescribable. Impossible to literate or even imagine. But even if someone were to look directly upon him, they would only see a face, eyes, and hair. Any attempt to see the finer details wouldn't work no matter how hard they would try. Second, they wouldn't try to begin with as his _Radiance of the Sun _cloaked him from all manner of detection. Students walking around paid the disturbance no mind, including those who had seen Motohama leap to his fate.

Predator Philips had switched places with his Dawn Blade. The Fourth had finally stopped moving long enough for the Fifth to begin tracking him. He was here in Japan. And who would have thought after all this time he had been _masquerading _as Matsuda just as his Dawn Blade became friends with Issei. The Fourth had been under his nose this entire time.

He summoned Dusk Blades and had them scatter throughout the city. The Fourth hadn't seen the Original Sun and thus couldn't detect the Fifth's presence. The Fifth had the advantage. Philips would find and execute the Fourth by the end of the night.

Before they were Predators, according to the logic of Philips, they were an Acolyte and a Special Intelligence Tactical Hunter. The Fourth was a ravenous monster needed to be put down above all others of his kind and the Fifth the exterminator ruled by duty to protect humanity from such a threat. Such was how it was in the old world, such as how it shall be in this new one. Nothing has changed. And if the world were to die out again and they find themselves in a third domain, things would continue until one or both of them were dead.

One Dusk Blade had found something of interest. He looked in the general direction, towards the outskirts, and vanished towards the exact location of his black doll.

*Scene*

Craftsmen ran amok in an orderly but rushed fashion. They were running out of time. They were behind schedule enough as it was and then Kokabiel demanded the sword to be finished days before the original plan. Even with the resources of their benefactor plus the ingenuity of four separate master crafters, forging a sword of legend out of diluted fragments was preposterous. The fragments alone had lost their radiance over the years, over the abuse and taint of their unworthy wielders, and from continuous tinkering from Church researchers.

But this was still manageable. They could finish everything before the end of the night. They just needed to have everything perfect.

And that was the crux of the problem. Something was wrong.

"We cannot progress further until the final fragment is gathered," said Elaine, the White Maiden of the Lake, and the Fae who was originally tasked with forging Excalibur in the Dark Ages. "It is the core, do you understand this? Without it, the blade will be hollow, brittle, and collapse at the smallest pressure."

To her right, a short but powerfully built man brushed his knotted beard. And beside him was an equally short but mighty man of near identical appearance. They were Bokkr and Eitri, dwarves rumored to have crafted the finest of divine instruments with their most notorious success being the Mjolnir. Eitri smacked his brother with the back of his hand, trying to get him to stop his habit of tangling his beard further.

Bokkr gruffed but stopped. "Aye. And we can't purify the metals until we have the full set. Each piece needs to be exactly the same else the whole thing goes up in smoke."

"You don't say…?" grossed Valper as he continued to munch on his lunch. An ordinary sandwich as it were… had the meat not been undercooked to the point of dripping red liquid. "Well… as it so happens… Excalibur Ruler should be coming at any moment now. I'm having it shipped here all the way from Egypt, can you believe it? What time is it? Oh! Why, it should be here right… about…"

There was a shimmer in the air. A sword appeared at the center of the group with its edge planted deep into the ground. Fresh blood glistened at the hilt and ran down the blade, indicating it was the wielder who was wounded and not the opponent.

"Right on time!" Valper clapped and tugged the large sword out of the ground. His old age as well as his body mass should not have allowed him to lift it so nimbly. Yet he flicked it around as if it were nothing more than a wooden stick. "Will this suffice?"

The Faerie and the dwarves looked at another. As much as they were loath about the task, they had their orders and were to carry them out.

"I will…" Elaine accepted the sword with both hands— her ever-present smile twitching slightly at the blood touching her hands. A shiver went through her. The blood had belonged to one of the Pendragon kin. "…begin the analysis of the magic of the sword and apply the formula to the final project."

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Valper clapped once more. "Oh, and before I forget… Here, I finally extracted what was needed. Took me three tries. The poor boy is at death's door at this point. But, on the good news, if this one fails we at least get one more try."

No one but him laughed.

He pulled out a vial from his robes. A silver-blue liquid glowed with swirls of black corrupting it. Elaine knew what it was— it was the pure essence of the Sword Birth in a liquid state. He made sure to hand this over to the dwarves.

"Make sure to put that in the tub when you begin putting the sword together? Good? Good."

*Scene*

There was still one period left for the day before classes were excused. Issei decided to skip it. He could barely sit through any of the lectures anyways. _Professor _Siegfried had to be an ass and call him out whenever he began to drift away in thought. The man should have known what was going on but still put it as a priority to be a teacher first. At lunch, Issei approached the man and asked if he knew the Fourth was in Japan. Ludwig merely shrugged, said it wasn't any of his business to know, and said it was Issei's responsibility to deal with the territory he had claimed.

The man was no help whatsoever.

Issei couldn't just go wandering around however he wanted. He could have gone into town and searched again. But that was fruitless as he had searched _everywhere _with his Gift of Flight and couldn't find a single trace of the Fourth or Yuuto. He could sit in the Occult Research Club; surely someone would be there as well to keep him company.

He had decided to go to the clubroom. But, though he probably knew why yet refused to acknowledge it, his feet had taken him directly to the Student Council office. And, almost against his will, he had knocked on the door.

"Enter," she had called from the other side.

His heart fluttered at the sound of her voice. Sona was back to her old self. He hadn't seen her in the past few days and had made an attempt all day long to avoid her. The look she gave him the last time they met… he couldn't stand to have been looked at that again. Especially from her. It hurt worse than any pain he had endured, both physical and emotional. Sona was his greatest friend and one he could always lean on no matter what.

It had hurt him to no end when she had severed that bond.

He opened the door and entered at a slow pace. Hope filled him that, maybe, she had put up an act because Rolan was present. Sona would never hurt him willingly like this. She had been upset with him countless times, had infuriated her to the point of making her scream on occasion, and had earned her wrath just as much. But never had she given him such a dead look.

She was sitting at her desk, head bowed and scribbling things on sheets of paper. Issei never knew what sort of work required her to constantly fill out files, and he suspected she did it only for show. Seated at her own desk, Tsubaki lifted her head to give a quick curious glance at who had entered. Her eyes went back to her work, widened in realization, and then shot back up towards him in worry. Her eyes were begging for him to turn back before…

The scribbling stopped. Sona had glanced up just the same. Her expression was as unresponsive as a marble statue, frozen solid with a tantalizing yet beautiful look.

Her eyes shifted. She was no longer seeing him. He was _nothing _to her. A speck of dust had more value to her. She lowered her head and went back to work.

"Tsubaki, please take care of this nuisance. It should be grateful I don't report it."

It. Not he. She didn't say his name let along consider him a person at this point. He was a concept— a problem for her given form.

Tsubaki looked torn. But she obeyed her King, stood, and ushered towards Issei. She spoke in a low but pressing voice as she tried to push him back towards the door. "Hyoudou-san, now isn't the time. Kaichou is—"

He moved past her. She tried to stop him, but no amount of strength or magic she could use would get him to obey.

He stood before Sona. He used a voice he thought he would never have to use with her. "We need to talk."

She didn't stop scribbling. Her handwriting didn't falter as she continued a financial report and budget regarding the upcoming cultural festivities. She was absorbed in her work.

More and more she was hurting him with her intended ignorance. He wouldn't give up, however, and pressed harder. "Sona—" her hand stopped for a millisecond, "I _need _to talk to you."

"Tsubaki," she called out towards her Queen again. "Call security."

He had enough. His hands slammed flat on her desk hard enough to knock what she had on top tumbling over and papers flying around. "YOU NEED TO LISTEN!"

"I DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING FOR YOU!"

Her outburst felt like a punch to the face. She had jumped out of her seat, her face flushed with a flash of anger, and eyes piercing. He had never seen her like this before.

There was silence between them. Once again she went back to pretending he did not exist. As if it weren't a bother, she began to gather the folders and applications that had scattered as well as placing what knickknacks she kept at their precise and organized positions.

In a matter of seconds she was back to her previous duties.

He leaned over, plucked the pen out of her hand before she could react, and tossed it over his shoulder. He saw her hand twitch, fingers curl into a fist as she tried to suppress her anger once again. But she refused to give in to what she had probably thought to be a childish antic, calmed down with frightening swiftness, and pulled out another pen from her drawer.

"You know what… feel free to expel me for this."

This time, she looked right at him.

He grabbed both edges of her desk and threw it aside. Her things scattered everywhere while the desk flopped over, tumbled, and crashed into the other stations.

She struggled this time to keep her frustration from showing. Her hands opened and clenched periodically while she had her eyes closed in intense concentration. Eventually her frustrations won. She leapt out of her chair, opened her mouth, but instead of shouting she swiftly turned her back and walked towards the window. Her hands gripped at the edge of her hair before slapping down onto the windowsill. She stared straight forward.

"…I'm not leaving, Sona," he said in a heavy and grim tone.

"Tsubaki…" Sona called out to her Queen one final time. "...For fuck's… Leave us. Do not let anyone in until I say so."

Tsubaki did not dare to say a word. She walked out the door without turning her back to either of the two. The door clicked; she had locked it and would no doubt be standing guard.

But Sona did not move from her post. She remained exactly where she stood in the exact position, unmoving. He waited for her, distracting himself by trying to keep his own emotions from flooding out. He wanted to speak, but if he were to do so now in her current state nothing would be heard. It hurt him so bad; the person he always turned to, his safety net he had always known had been there whenever he messed up badly, was now gone. Perhaps he had burned it down himself, perhaps this was always intended by Rolan, or perhaps it was all circumstance.

Sona continued to stare out the window. Her hand, on occasion, either rapped against the sill in a rhythm or would clench into a fist. Once, her nails dug into the wood itself and carved a trail. She hadn't noticed.

Issei couldn't tell what she was thinking about. Not that he ever could to begin with. Sona's mind was always a mystery to him. It was something he was in awe with; how she could calculate intricate patterns and formulas while he struggled to just do basic math. Everything she did was amazing. Now, when pushed over the edge like this, he especially couldn't tell what she was thinking.

His draconian senses were going haywire. They couldn't tell what she was feeling. Far too many emotions were swirling around her, mixing in with her thoughts, twisting and conjoining into a giant vortex of multiple colors. And then, his instincts as a Predator had it worse. She wished to do him harm, and then she wouldn't, and then she would, and then wouldn't, would, wouldn't, would, and so on and so forth.

Not even the World itself seemed capable of analyzing her intentions to warn him. He, eventually decided to just leave it to fate.

They stood there for an hour in their silence. The bell rang. School was done.

The sound of the bell was what brought her back into focus. She turned, eyes fierce and cold. Without fear, full of determination and perhaps drunk in her ire, she approached him in elegant and predatory steps.

She brought her hand around and slapped him. He accepted that.

Her brows knitted; she didn't accept his reluctance to react.

She slapped him again as soon as he turned his head to look at her. And again. And again. Her slaps continued until she no longer waited for him to turn back towards her. Her slaps eventually became fists that she brutally pounded onto him at any spot she could find. There was no finesse in her movements, no grace she always carried, and definitely no precision. They were just her channeling her frustrations onto him when she could not find the words.

But eventually he grew tired. He caught her wrist at the next strike and the other when she tried to bring the other around.

"Sona, that's enough—"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY MY NAME!" she shrieked in a pitch he'd never believe to hear from her. It made him let go. She pounded her fists onto his chest twice more with all her strength before stepping back. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! Any at all?!"

His own rage rose, but he forced it down. "I'm trying to save you—"

"I don't need your saving!" she cut him off before he could finish. "I'm not some damsel in distress! I had everything under control until you went and did _that_!"

"Under control?! You were going to marry _Rolan_!"

"And you think marrying _you _is any better?!" she countered. Her words hurt more than any slap. "This only proves you've learned nothing from me. I have responsibilities— do you remember those? You used to have them until you _gave up, Red Blur_!Marrying Rolan would have given me protection, would have protected my peerage, and it would have protected YOU and all of those you love! But of course you didn't see this! You were only seeing Rolan, Sixth Predator, the man who pissed you off."

"The man is going to use you and then throw you away, Sona," he was almost desperate, and perhaps he was. He needed to find a way for her to see what he saw. "I know you don't want to marry him. And I don't care for what reasons you're doing this. I can protect—"

"You couldn't protect Ayame or Asia," she said, her words stabbing into him like a frozen blade. "Why should I believe you can protect anyone else?"

He couldn't respond. His eyes were wide, horrified, and full of betrayal. It was a guilt he had been living with ever since the incident. It tore him apart always. To hear it from her… he felt like collapsing and just… give up.

Sona continued to look at him in a cold fury. "Leave and never show yourself in front of me ever again. We are done here."

"…No," he shook his head. "Sona, I'm not giving up. You… You don't mean that. I know you don't. I _will _save you from Rolan. I've never forgotten. I've never forgotten why I became a hero. I've never forgotten why I shed away from being the hero and became the monster. I promised to protect everyone. And I will."

"…How dare you," she said in a low voice through gritted teeth. "Those are my words. And what have you done with them so far? You sold yourself to Gremory for your virginity. And now you're saying you're doing this to _save _me? Don't be so presumptuous. You're saying something threatens you and so you try to match them with force instead of cunning? It's a _marriage, _no one is dying! You are furthest from any hero. You are a tyrant. You are one of _them_!

"And that is why I wash my hands of you," she said with such a sharp tone she could cleave him in two. "I've lost all respect for you. You are no hero. You are…" a snort, "a Predator. Congratulations, Dragoon, you fell right into their ploys and never realized it. Did you, maybe, bother to think that, _maybe, _this was all part of Rolan's plan? No, you couldn't. You're far too incompetent.

"I have no faith in you. I doubt you ever could protect me. I doubt you'll defeat Rolan in the Rating Game, even if all of your Pieces are the remaining Predators. You can't see the bigger picture and throw your fists at it until something caves. Someday you'll realize you will break instead. But I welcome you to try. Maybe you'll learn something as I watch you fail to _save _me from my marriage. Oh, and speaking of which… that reminds me…

"So we have _nothing _to tie us together, I believe you and I had a deal."

She took a step back and began to disrobe. Her cape, her blouse, and eventually her bra came undone. She was completely topless for him to see.

He never looked. He continued to look straight into her eyes. His eyes were green, his power was leaking into the room no matter how hard he was trying to keep it at bay. Tears had fallen down his eyes. His face was contorted in pain he was doing everything he could to remain standing. His lips quivered. He was on the verge of breaking down in defeat.

Something flickered in her eyes. But it was gone before it could be identified. In the same coldness as she had before, she neatly placed her attire back on and issued him one final time. "Leave. No matter what else you have to say, _I _am done with you. Don't make me repeat myself."

She turned her back to him and went back towards the window. She would not listen to anything else he had to say.

He stood there for some time, sniffling, gathering his composure and what dignity he had left. He knew there wasn't anything else he could do here. He turned, paced, and stopped right at the door. She could feel his eyes glower at her back, but she refused to acknowledge it. The door opened, he stepped out, but it had remained open.

Tsubaki was the only one to step inside, "…Kaichou?"

Sona gave a single gesture. No words. She told Tsubaki to wait further.

The door clacked shut.

Sona waited, never moving away from the window, never releasing her emotions or letting them subside as well. Her eyes traced the movement of Issei across the field, making his way towards the Occult Research Club. He stopped, turned towards her, and their eyes met for the briefest of moments.

He continued to walk. She followed him until he was out of sight.

With the last of her will, she made sure to seal off the room. No noise would escape and the curtains would keep observers on the outside from looking up.

Sona fell to her knees, screamed, and cried out everything she had withheld inside her heart.

*Scene*

His feet took him towards the old school building, but he never went inside. He did not tuck himself under the old tree; that would leave him exposed for others to see him. He didn't want the attention of his fellow clubmates to see him. He could feel the presences of Rias, Akeno, and Serafall inside the clubroom. Asia was still chatting away with her friends in the homeroom and Koneko was on her way.

He circled around, pressed his back against the wall, and slid to the floor.

His emotions were overflowing. He didn't know what to do. Now, more than ever, the voice of the World was loud. Nothing but rage and a desire to draw blood coursed through his veins. None of his thoughts could keep him calm; and those thoughts, in turn, had twisted into reasons why he should give in to the temptation. It was him against the World, as it had always been since he became a Predator.

But now, the World was winning.

_I should kill her._

She had wronged him. She had hurt him. She had betrayed him. She was once his friend, someone he looked up to, someone he idolized, a sister he could depend on. And now she turned her back against him.

_I should kill her._

There was more to the story. There should be, but he couldn't see what it was. She had taught him to try and see the full picture. There were always two sides to every story— the enemies he faced, why did he need to fight them? Why did they assault, steal, pillage, destroy? She taught him to see which of his enemies were good and which were evil. Which ones deserved punishment and which ones deserved mercy.

He couldn't see another side to this story. Her words had been truthful. There hadn't been a single lie, no deception, she had held nothing back against him. She did not believe in him. She had no faith in him. She _knew— _as if this was truth— there was no possible way he could do anything for her. He will lose against Rolan, she will marry him, and it will be because Issei was incapable to do anything otherwise.

_I should kill her._

What hurt the most… she was right.

He was pretending to be someone of competence. He knew next to nothing about politics. It was Serafall who instructed him in the days before challenging Rolan about all the ins and outs of the situation. Every scenario was run through her as she had him memorize appropriate responses. He was a doll she dressed for the sake of appearances. It had worked, but it was not something he could continue for the rest of his life.

His worthiness as a Demon Lord was a farce, built on nothing but lies pressed through this moment of desperation. Had Sona not been her sister, Serafall would have never complied with this.

_I should kill…_

He was no hero. He was a pretender. He had given up and was trying to accomplish something he hadn't the strength to fulfill. Lives were being lost, villains ran amok, and monsters plagued the world. He knew this, he knew this needed to stop, and yet he would do nothing against it. He could not find it within himself to get up once more and stop them. The Red Blur they had called him— a hero! Innocents worshiped him and villains feared him.

_I should kill._

He knew why he couldn't go out there. Not wouldn't— _couldn't. _He would kill. It wouldn't matter what level of crime it would be— from murder to petty pickpocketing. Anyone he would catch in the act would become a bloody smear on the wall. He didn't have the means to keep himself in check. The World only allowed him to be in a perpetual state of rage.

Now, he couldn't even keep it from killing those he loved dearly.

_I need to kill—_

Someone was approaching. His instincts as a Predator were telling him but he couldn't focus on who it was. He was far too deep in his thoughts and feelings to listen. His body would not move. If he moved, something would flood out. He only needed a few more minutes to put his mask back on. He just needed that small span of time to put his urge to kill back in its cage.

He didn't have that minute.

She whispered his name. She knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder.

It felt like fire to him. His hand moved, clasped around her throat, and slammed her to the floor. It happened so quick she didn't have a second to realize what was happening and not enough time for her body to jerk or gasp by his force. Her body rocked by the impact. Her eyes went wide at the final realization.

He squeezed. There was a satisfying crunch as her neck became putty in his grip.

A shiver swept through him. A euphoric bliss as his cravings were calmed. Though the voice of the World was still as loud as it had ever been, he could now suppress it to the back of his mind.

Her cold, _dead _hands reached tenderly for his face. They cupped his cheeks and forced his eyes to look down at her.

"What would you have done if it wasn't me?" Serene asked.

His heart plummeted to his stomach by her question. Calmed, he realized what he had just done.

He leapt off of her, shivering. His body convulsed. He fell on his knees and heaved what he could from his stomach. There had hardly been anything other than lingering snacks and acid. When empty, he continued to heave.

Serene stood and came to his side; she did not touch him as she knelt down and waited patiently for him to finish. "Shed tears now, Master. There won't be a chance for you to relieve yourself from this point on."

He gasped for air and wiped his mouth clean with the sleeve of his jacket. The feeling of crushing her windpipe and snapping her vertebra were _soothing, _therapeutic even. That should have never crossed his mind. Whenever he killed, for any reason, he never did it because he wanted to. He killed with a heavy heart and a burden that death was never justifiable. He always told himself there could have been another way and to kill meant he had to accept he didn't have the power or knowledge yet to reach that option.

But, here, death had been a legitimate answer. He couldn't accept that.

"I'm… fine," he said more to himself than to her. His mind was rattled but nowhere near what it had used to be.

Serene said nothing. Her fingers traced the bruised imprints on her neck. Steadily, they were deteriorating, being devoured by her Creyroux.

"Why… Why are you here, Serene?" he asked. While a small part of him was curious, the majority of his mind was just throwing ideas around in a search to distract himself.

Her emerald eyes swerved from the bile on the grass towards his hazel orbs. Her expression did not change. The filth could have been on equal disgust or treasure with his self. Her emotions were unreadable to his draconian senses. But then, he had to remind himself, her mindset that made her a Predator had her forever locked in a state of acceptance. She could neither support nor argue against anything that lay before her.

From her priestly robes she pulled out a small kerchief. Gently, she wiped off the remaining liquid he had missed from the corner of his mouth. "My Master is in need now more than ever. Your lovers have done well to give you comfort, but they can't mend your heart. Sometimes, more than a bandage is needed to close a bleeding wound."

She moved behind him and pressed her back against his. Her knees folded up to her chest as she wrapped her arms around her legs. "There is no one on this planet who could understand you, Master, except for seven others. We have all gone through what you are now. I will be with you indefinitely; we can overcome this burden together. You needn't have to suffer alone. But for now, direct that anger towards your King's enemies. You will need it tonight."

He chose to sit on the grass and lean against her. There was no warmth coming from her, as though her body was a hollowed corpse. She was, in a sense. Nevertheless, he understood the gravitas of her gesture. Serene had turned her back towards him and offered words of comfort. She was exposing herself to the only being on the planet who could harm her. The World might protect her back, but the precision of another Predator could easily pierce through this obstacle. Her back to him was a final sign of submission.

His brows scrunched together. "Tonight? Why tonight?"

She rolled forward to her knees before climbing back to her feet. "Come, Master. While you have been wallowing, Lady Leviathan has been distracting Sir Rolan. He is here; I've come originally to fetch you. He will be leaving soon for the Fourth and must see him off if we are to follow."

*Scene*

"And we are going to do NOTHING about this?!" she shouted in absolute abhorring outrage.

"You've stated your case, Breast Lover, and we've come to our conclusion," retorted one of the chairmen, Rump Smacker, her mortal enemy. She already knew this person would be against her from the very beginning— as he had since Before the Beginning— and it wasn't a surprise to have him counter her points with suspiciously informative arguments. His spies must have dug into her networks.

The pantheon of the debauch divinities gathered for their quarterly meeting, as was scheduled to follow since their own Primordials came into existence and began fiddling with _their _creations. Gathered in a long table were individuals existing in a plane that did not follow the same Laws of the Trinity Kings and the Kings of Three. This group were Originals, indeed, but not of the dimension they had recently reviewed.

They were Outsiders— beings who followed their own Laws of Originals and Primordials in an entirely different omniverse. Their Laws of Existence were completely different to the ones that of humanity followed.

Within their home dimension, these Originals watched with curiosity the ongoing progress of the humans. And they had been baffled, almost stupefied, by their workings. What these Originals had written in their Laws to define what it meant to _exist, _humanity had viewed similar articles as genres, mediums, idle thoughts, _fetishes_, misgivings, entertainments, and so on.

While the Lords of the Debauch saw these sexual necessities as outright definitions of existence, humanity had seen them as _preferences _as if they were knickknacks of a collection. It was unthinkable! But there it was! Humanity was _wasting _an essential aspect of existence as if… as if wearing laced panties didn't keep anti-matter from tearing space in half! Or… or… being a sexy fireman or hot nurse didn't keep the sun glowing with life!

As time moved on, as they studied this foreign Third Law of Progress, they watched as how humanity split into multiple parallel worlds just like theirs. Perhaps the two dimensional beings weren't so different after all. But then, the Debauch found out, they had to gather food to sustain themselves instead of fondling. So many tables were flipped that day— not because they were infuriated or confused like how humans would flip tables when pushed to this emotion, but because they needed to reevaluate their estimations on the worth of humanity.

The coffee table was just as convenient of a mathematical device as the human's calculator.

"This boy has reached out to us!" Breast Lover argued even after the debate had reached its conclusion. The director didn't say anything and so took it as a sign to say her last words. "How many humans have been able to make contact with us? A better question, how many Outsiders have been able to reach us in all the other dimensions we've scouted?"

Outsiders. To humanity, they were Outsiders. And to them, humanity were Outsiders. Both claims were accurate as it was a term used to define a being who belonged to a different set of Original Laws. Humanity followed both the Kings of Three and the Trinity Kings while the Lords of the Debauch followed… themselves.

"Didn't we come to a conclusion already?" wavered Rump Smacker once again. Always her bane! "Why don't we move on to the next problem?"

"I vote for a recount," spoke Pornographer. He stacked the pile of recently required… what were they called… magazines on the table as a sign for the table to recapture their importance. "These are of high quality. Better than the ones my subjects have been able to extract from that strange land. And can you not feel the amount of prayer put into each page? The boy sacrificed them to us and see how much worth they were towards him. He could have kept them, but instead he gave them up as if knowing beforehand we would like them."

Nods and murmurs swept throughout the room. They did, indeed, enjoy every page. Many grand civilizations were brought back to life with lost technology recovered with this set of ten holy texts.

"The decision has been made," the director, Fertility, said in his voice of authority. Whenever he spoke, none could oppose him. His words were, literally and figuratively, _Law._

Breast Lover bit her lip. "I cannot accept such a decision made on _cowardice_!"

Intercourse, her dear older brother, put up his hand to gain her attention. He tapped his pen against the table as he iterated. "I shall be the first to admit _my _vote was based on cowardice. But with that cowardice comes _logic; _we've no means to defend ourselves from the Abyss. The recent affairs regarding your test subject have been… unfortunate, Breast Lover. This the board acknowledges. What Sona Sitri had done towards him is unforgiveable."

Indeed it was. She flaunted her breasts towards him not out of love or selfishness. Breast Lover could have even respected her if Sona flashed them as a weapon or instrument to gain something, as had Bender reinforced her feelings during the argument. Sona had sinned most grievously. Revealing her breasts like that was… cold, hollow, sickening, and shameful. It was a betrayal most high.

"However…" Intercourse continued, "He was but one step away from becoming a Betrayer. The Abyss almost claimed him and it won't stop. He has [Betrayed] his World by refusing to be its defense mechanism and his Quantum Identity Cortex by refusing to be a... life-saver— the core of his psyche that made him into one of these Predators in the first place! Should he give in to the final task and [Betray] _any _of those he loves by killing them, he will belong to the Abyss. This is not a soul the board can afford to affiliate with. We've warded off the spreading of the Abyss in our realm; we don't have a Guardian System to protect us should it come towards us."

"But this boy cries for us!" she protested further. She cursed herself. Her argument would have still had meaning if she only didn't begin with the word 'but'. Now she was looking desperate— though she was, she didn't need to share that with the board. "He was influenced by the poison of his World's System and their Predator network. The Abyss took advantage of that and you know it! Are we going to just ignore him?! He prays to us, he worships us, and he has glorified us when we have never asked anything of him! He is a devout follower of our Laws despite being in the [Kings'] realm! Is this the example we must make to our subjects? Pray to us, worship us, grant us sacrifices and follow our every demand, only to have us ignore them in their greatest time of need?!"

Fertility leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together. "Breast Lover, I understand your… sympathies for this human, but he is only one in a sea of infinite. There are others just like him to entertain yourself with."

She stood and pressed her hands against the table. "Yes! That's precisely my point! There _are _others just like him!"

The room lit up once more with multiple screens appearing. Upon each screen displayed the most recent subject of her team's research: a human boy named Issei Hyoudou. But it wasn't simply _one _Issei. Each screen displayed a parallel expression of the boy. According to the humans' Law of Progress, All is Infinite, and therefore every choice made in every road split apart to express hundreds— if not an infinite number— of methods to fulfill each choice. And those hundreds of choices split apart into hundreds more individually, and so on and so forth. Why, it was so similar to the Law of Fertility it was almost frightening.

The result were an infinite number of parallel worlds. Some worlds stayed the same with only the most microscopic of differences— yet entirely different worlds all the same— while some could be so close to resemble the Lords of the Debauch's. An infinite number of Issei Hyoudous were in each of these infinite number of worlds. And the ones she was showing had the same characteristic despite the Law of Progress and its tendency to change whole beings:

They all had an appreciation for _breasts_! They, without fully understanding, knew breasts had a power within them greater than their own. She showed them versions of Issei Hyoudou who had broken the restrictions the World they lived in placed upon them as soon as they embraced the power of the breasts. Some Evolved, some mutated, some reached astounding heights beyond measure, and at least one had become an _Original _of their own. Not a Ruler who created their own silly Rules to govern small Worlds— but an actual Original who decided what it meant for their omniverse to _exist_!

"We've seen this," Rump Smacker sighed in both irritation and pity for his rival. "You've an entire chattel to choose from. Why waste the resources of the board over _one _human out of an infinite?"

She smiled. Finally! This was the question she waited for. She needed this question. Without it, her answer would have been nothing but wild ramblings.

"Because _this _Issei Hyoudou is the Oppai Dragon."

There was a silence within the boardroom. Members who hadn't been paying attention due to a lack of interest or irritation had their focus regained.

She locked eyes with the director. Fertility narrowed his eyes but said nothing further. It meant she was permitted only a few minutes to explain her theory. Had her accusation had come from anyone else, it would have been blasphemy. But she was a respected member of the board and had been one of the first Originals during the creation of the omniverse beside Rump Smacker and Intercourse.

Naturally, Rump Smacker snickered. But it wasn't his normal mocking laughter. This was nervous. "O-Oppai Dragon? Surely you must be mistaken. The Oppai Dragon is a _myth_! There isn't any evidence to prove it ever existed! Hmph. Next I suppose you'll produce us a _Switch Princess _as well, hmm?"

"…I'm listening," called out the youngest but most crafty of the Originals, Novella. "Anyone else willing to hear one last statement?"

Murmurs came once again. Complaints and mutterings of blasphemy, but not a single one of them were rejections.

Breast Lover took the stage. She had spent immeasurable amounts of time confirming her research. She knew the truth about the Oppai Dragon and had _finally _located its reincarnated vessel. Now all she needed to do was prove her findings to her fellow Lords of the Debauch.


	16. The Holy Sword Project

**No note this time! Wait! There's an Omake at the end!**

***Confetti everywhere***

* * *

"If you will follow me the master will see to you at once," Lancelet gave a light bow as she gestured for the visitor to enter. Inwardly, she was sighing a _tremendous _shrill of relief. Not because of her guest, oh by the Queen's lucky knickers _no, _but because Sir Ludwig had permitted professional attire instead of the indecent suits for this evening. Master Hyoudou would not be visiting under any circumstances now that the Fourth has invaded his territory. Sir Ludwig had given the orders to prepare for battle at any moment's notice.

She was wearing her coat of arms underneath her pressed suit. It made her look stiff and hid away any form of feminity she was proud of. It was the only plus she had against some of the other Knights of the Round. While most were of firm build due to their duties and training, Lancelet had miraculously kept her curves along with her muscle tone. Sir Ludwig likened her to an Amazoness warrior.

Lancelet could not help but be put on further alert with the arrival of this man so suddenly. Perhaps Sir Ludwig knew of his arrival but hadn't informed her due to the two's relationship. It was unlikely if Sir Ludwig didn't know as he kept his intelligence firm within the Church, especially since Saint Serene of Finland was no longer his ally. There must have been a reason why he had not informed Lancelet and Morgan of his nearness.

Saint Virtue of Germany was not one to be trifled with. His influence within the Church surpassed that of the Catholic's Pope. He was _the _Paladin Lord who had other Paladin Lords under his command and their vassals with it, the unofficial Speaker of Saints, and had a seat within the Gathering of Heaven. He took very few apprentices, but when he did they all became masters if Exorcists and Paladins or became enriched with the powers of the faith should they belong strictly to the cloth.

But the biggest problem with Saint Virtue was his age. He was stubborn in regards to everything, including long outdated principles the Church had renounced. He was unbending in principle and enforced the laws of heaven with an iron fist. Those who opposed him were removed, simple as that.

She knocked when they came upon Sir Ludwig's office. Normally she would wait for a response but would not risk the impatience of Saint Virtue. She announced herself as she opened the door.

Her face paled. She shut the door.

"I… I am terribly sorry Lord Virtue," she did not fully recover before turning around to address her guest. "Master Siegfried is not present. He must be elsewhere…"

Saint Virtue only stared at her. He probably knew she was lying— not that she was a great liar to begin with— but did not react any further.

"Please, this way," she gestured once more for him to follow her as she began to lead him out of the hall. Her pacing was a single beat faster in a subtle attempt to get as far away from the office.

The sound of clattering was her warning. _Bullocks! _She had completely forgotten about Morgan! The she-devil was coming this way from the servant's stairway, no doubt bringing delights for the master. However, unlike Lancelet and Lord knows _why, _Morgan had taken a liking to the attire Sir Ludwig had chosen for Master Hyoudou's enjoyment. She wore her various scandalous dresses more than her regular clothes. Tonight made no difference. Sure, she wore her coat of arms but had it mixed in with the short skirted, low-cut, frilly French maid outfit!

"This way! This way! _This way!" _Lancelet spun on her heels and pressed her hands against Saint Virtue's shoulders to turn him around. He old man opened his mouth to protest but Lancelet was too busy making a fool of herself to save her damned master. "Terribly sorry, Lord Virtue. We've only recently vacated ourselves here. I am having difficulty keeping track of my whereabouts. I could not possibly _take a Living Saint down the servant hallways!_"

There. She had nearly shouted but _hopefully_ the two would have been able to hear her and taken a hint.

Alas, her dear master was not a fool. But an ass.

"Terribly sorry, Lancelet," Sir Ludwig cracked the door to his office open and poked his head through. "Couldn't hear any of that. What were you saying about, if I heard right, a rodent infestation?"

Oh God. Please have mercy on his soul. The man had insulted a Voice of God with little to no discretion. And not just any Living Saint, but the one with the greatest authority and influence. With one word the entirety of the British Isles could be excommunicated.

Saint Virtue scowled but did not act against the insult. It was frightening how cold his eyes were. At the sight of Sir Ludwig, Virtue's thin lips curved into a sneer. "I thank you for your hospitality Sir… _Siegfried._"

There was a snarl at the addressing of his name. Calling him Ludwig would have been far too informal for men of their stations. But for what reason did Saint Virtue have to—

"Brother!" A large grin grew on Sir Ludwig's face. It was the usual charming smile she had seen countless times when dealing with the Royal Guard and members of the House of Lords. Genuine in pleasure, but at the same time forced. "Come now. There's no need to be calling me that. Call me Lulu or Ludo like how you used to."

"I am no brother to a _witch,_" Saint Virtue argued with a raised head. "My traitorous brother died in the climax of the Second World War."

Oh. They were… brothers. Saint Virtue of _Germany _suddenly made sense. Did that mean Saint Virtue came from clan Siegfried-Germanicus? Well, it might explain the disgust when mentioning Sir Ludwig's name. The Dragon Slayer might be the head of the clan, but that did not mean anyone else had taken a liking to the seizure. Especially when he had rejected his inheritance of True Gram and True Balmung, had claimed _his _were superior to a family who had dedicated their entire history to recreating the sacred weapons, and named himself _Siegfried alone _as a declaration to point he was their great ancestor incarnate.

"Hmm…" Sir Ludwig nodded in… sympathy? Seriously? He was going to play along with this skit? "I am terribly sorry to hear that. Come in, come in! Make yourself comfortable and we can discuss—"

"Shall I prepare the study, Master Siegfried?" Lancelet interjected as she pressed her hand against the door to keep Sir Ludwig from reentering his office. "I apologize for not cleaning your office earlier like you requested. Surely you do not mean to conduct business in such an unruly environment."

"Oh don't worry," his smile shifted as he waved a hand. She knew that smile. Her heart skipped a beat. "Little Sherry took care of it. The office is spick and span. Now, if you don't mind—"

"Perhaps you should then take a moment to clear your desk of any _unwanted _information belonging to foreign affairs?" Lancelet said firmly. Her master was no fool and knew what she was trying to say. The problem was _he didn't care. _"You wouldn't want to embarrass Her Majesty with anything—"

"If there a reason why you block my invitation, Knight?" Saint Virtue's eyes glowered at her. "Your superior officer has given you a command—"

"Oh my, we have more guests."

Hadn't she been through torture training, Lancelet would have fallen to her knees here and now and wept. Morgan had appeared. And lo and behold! Her skin-tight coat of arms combined with her risqué maid attire added emphasis to her womanly curves. While Morgan had a modest bosom and impressive hips, the two articles added depth that was almost a bold-face lie.

Morgan carried a silver tray with a few dishes of cakes and teas. "Please excuse me, good sir. Had I known you were present I would have fetched another spot for you. I shall go and do so but please allow me to serve my master and his guest first."

By this point, Lancelet damned subtlety. She did not care that she was openly rubbing the tension building on the bridge of her nose. It would seem all of Brittania was now going to burn in hell.

Saint Virtue's face paled and then reddened with anger at the sight of Morgan. His eyes flashed towards Sir Ludwig, demanding of an answer to this debauch abuse of authority.

"Thank you, Morgan," Sir Ludwig only offered his normal smile and _pried _the door open, nearly knocking Lancelet to the floor as she had been pushing herself against it. "Go ahead and set everything down and see to it our new guest is tended to. Lancelet, join us. I will be needing a secretary to take notes of our conversation."

There was nothing she could do. She had tried as a Knight of the Round to save Holy Brittania from being purged in holy fires— how ironic— but the whims of her master was beyond her means to quell. She withheld the sigh wanting to escape the bottom of her throat, gathered her bearings, and followed suite right after Sir Ludwig and Saint Virtue.

She slid against the wall and cycled around, wanting to avoid the center of the room as much as possible. The air was thick as Saint Virtue's divine miasma started to linger. The powerful priest glowered at the teenage boy sitting in one of the guest chairs across of Sir Ludwig's desk. Shelly, who was sitting on aforementioned desk and kicking her feet like the child she was, quickly slid off and made herself presentable.

"_What,_" the lights in the room intensified by the power of Virtue's voice, "is a _Devil _doing in my presence?"

The blonde boy, the Devil, but not of one belonging to the Gremory peerage Lancelet acknowledged, gulped as sweat started to sparkle against his brow. The cup of tea with the saucer underneath in his hands clattered; the poor lad was shaking as his instincts to survive were kicking in.

Morgan, who either hadn't the sense to know better or simply didn't care, crossed between them and began to assort the delights onto the middle table. She also had no shame as she bent over just enough for the small skirt to reveal her smoothly shaped buttocks. The coat of arms, as much as Lancelet would have desired it to be made such, could not fit should one wear undergarments. Now, with her bending over, Morgan was just one shy step away from being naked.

Lancelet's cheeks flushed. She wanted to die. Had none of these people any shame?!

"Will you be killing him?" asked Sir Ludwig as he reached his desk and sat in his mediocre chair. Lancelet had asked him to purchase something more presentable for whenever guests were to arrive. Instead, he had found this leather seat at a bargain sale in a department store.

It donned on Lancelet she should not be focusing on the stain on her master's reputation as much as she should have been on his tone and question. Had there been… excitement in there?

Yes. There was. She knew of her master's habits after being schooled by him since she was a small girl. The grip on his cane did not change, but he began to rub his thumb against the crystal head of the dragon. He was wanting to use Gram Mk VII, almost anxiously, against Saint Virtue. He was looking for an excuse to bring his blade to life and strike down the Living Saint.

Ah. Now it made sense why he had been so… eager to have Virtue enter his office. Sir Ludwig must have hated his… _brother _just as much as Virtue did against him. Sir Ludwig just had a better way of hiding it.

Saint Virtue glared further onto the young Devil. He did nothing. "Get him out of my sight."

The young Devil gulped again and looked from Saint Virtue to Sir Ludwig. The poor dear was too terrified to move on his own.

The rubbing on his cane stopped. Sir Ludwig turned his head towards the Devil. "Very well. Good Genshirou, I'm afraid we're going to have to cut this short. But remember my words, lad. You have one week. If you do what I have asked, then you have my permission to ask me for that request once more. Do not fail yourself; now off you go."

The Devil nodded with a stiff head. He did not so much as stand as he did jump to his feet. He bowed to Morgan, who was about to offer him a slice of cake, and muttered incoherent things that must have been apologies or customary courtesies. With a final glance to the Living Saint, who continued to glare in absolute hatred against him, Genshirou moved to the corner of the room.

In a flash of red, he was gone.

"Have a seat and we may begin," Sir Ludwig's tone was sober at this point. His charm was gone, replaced by one of military professionalism befitting his status as Her Majesty's Knight of Honor.

The most prominent chair had seated the Devil just moments ago. Knowing this, Saint Virtue went out of his way to avoid anywhere near it. He chose the furthest of the three chairs, placed at the diagonal edge of Sir Ludwig's desk. It was informal and impractical, but the execution had been a gesture to express his loathness against those aligned with sin.

After all, the seat was also furthest from Sir Ludwig.

Morgan moved along the room, offering what delights she had brought. But as they had been meant for Genshirou, Saint Virtue had, obviously, refused them. Sir Ludwig also waved away any offerings but did not dismiss her. He gestured for her to take a corner of the room and await further orders. Morgan gave a salute instead of a bow and moved with sharp steps towards the left wall just behind his desk. Her hand just glided past Sherry's shoulder in a sign to have the girl follow, to which she did without question. Though, the small child did look uncomfortable with her being in this room instead of being dismissed.

The poor girl wasn't given the chance to slip out of the room.

Lancelet withheld her sigh once more and did as she was told. She reached into one of the drawers along the sealed bookshelves and pulled out a sheaf and pen.

"I believe the report Her Majesty had sent us told you were conducting business within the affairs of the Chinese." Saint Virtue did not so much as question as he _accused._

"I am," Sir Ludwig opened his hands slightly while keeping his grip firm on the cane between his legs. "There are Knights stationed there. But that's none of your concern, now, is it?"

"It becomes the concern of the Church when you wander into the territory of the most powerful _Devil _under false pretenses," Virtue snapped back. "We were tolerant of your relations as the Eighth was chosen by Heaven itself to wield the Boosted Gear; more so as this generation's Red Dragon Emperor used his gifts for the sake of the people. But the Church cannot ignore his betrayal by abandoning his crusade and becoming a _heathen._"

Lancelet tried to not notice the way Sherry's shoulders started to shake. She also tried to not notice Morgan sliding her feet along the floor to close the distance between the two and rub the small of her back. Sherry wanted to say something, something to defend her admiration and adopting brother. But it wasn't her place. And she was clever enough to know anything being said at this moment would make matters worse for Hyoudou.

"Do not presume to believe you own us," Ludwig retorted. "I answer _only _to the Queen. She may answer to the Church but I do not follow you. In regards to Master Hyoudou, do not speak ill of his name while you are in my house. I am a guest here in his land and shall defend his honor."

"As the Lord created the Sacred Gears for humanity to face the evils of the world," Virtue recited as though his words were from a passage, "he created the Predators to vanquish the evils humanity could not. You serve Heaven whether you believe it or not."

"I've never heard anything so presumptuous before," Ludwig uncurled and curled his fingers around his cane three times. A sign he was growing impatient and trigger-happy. A sign that wasn't missed by Saint Virtue. "Forget it. I'm not here to prattle religion with you. You've come here for a reason and I shall hear it out or show you the door. What will it be?"

"**…For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,**" Virtue spoke in a voice of power. "**But against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.**"

Sherry made an audible gasp and made quick steps away from Virtue until her back was against the wall. Her face was pale and clammy as her hands were gripping her dress fiercely.

Lancelet pondered if this was either due to her nature of being a Grim Reaper or from some left over residue from being a Resurrected Devil. She also secretly hoped Saint Virtue would not notice, but, alas, such a wish was only a wish. If Lancelet had noticed then surely a more experienced individual such as Saint Virtue would have spotted the signs of the reaction immediately.

Rightly so, Saint Virtue turned his head towards her. His eyes narrowed. His hand twitched; his divine presence began to drench the room.

Sherry made another gasp at the pressure and tried to shirk back further, but found the wall was keeping her from getting to a more comfortable distance.

"…What are you?" Virtue inquired.

"Enough," commanded Sir Ludwig, his voice firm, full of authority, and dangerous. "That's twice now you've insulted my honor, _Adaulfo Clarentine vi Siegfried-Germanicus._"

Sherry sank to her knees. Her body was shaking and tears threatened to break. The oppressive holy radiance of a Living Saint seeped back inside Virtue.

At being called by his birth name, Saint Virtue could only remain in his seat. It looked difficult for him to turn his head to stare back at Sir Ludwig.

The Dragon Slayer did not change his tone, "I'll not forgive a third time. Damn the consequences."

Saint Virtue glowered further at the Second Predator not in defiance but in anger. The man looked like he had been slapped across the face— which wouldn't be too far from the truth.

Lancelet stopped scribbling in her pad when she watched that rage suddenly… drop. His eyes went dead and any trace of his displeasure was simply gone.

"The Gathering of Heaven is calling upon your services, Dog of Brittany," Saint Virtue spoke up in a cold voice equaling Sir Ludwig's. "You shall do as we demand of you. There is no chance of refusal."

*Scene*

He could feel it. When Issei stepped foot within the old school building, he felt a wave of energy that did not bother to hide itself. The originator could have suppressed it to remain hidden, to walk among in the appearance of a mundane human, but chose to let it leak out as an announcement.

Sixth Predator Chase Lance Rolan was here. In his actual body and not as an avatar made from whatever his space-warping familiar was.

It was a strange feeling; Issei tried to figure out what he was sensing as he drew closer to the Occult Research Club. The power was not strong like a dam ready to break in comparison to himself, Serafall, or Grayfia. Rolan's presence was... potent. Significantly smaller in quantity but far more valuable in terms of quality.

There were two sensations that should have been clashing but were instead mixing to strengthen the other. In one layer, Issei felt like he was walking through a summer home. The sun was blazing outside with the hot air simmering the insides despite the shade. A soft breeze was blowing that did little to distill the heat but was still welcomed. The second layer was a blast of chill as though the building was sealed in a snowstorm. But there was something tranquil about it; a peace of white silence that made him want to grow closer to Asia and Rias and snuggle close to an open fire.

The heat and the cold were not oppressive. They were intoxicating.

He had felt this before. There were only a few instances when he had come face to face with Rolan. Those times had been long before the Ruler accepted him as a Predator. Now that he was, and now that his draconian nature had deepened, perhaps finally overcome his human side, Issei's senses had transcended. Rolan's presence was more than just flashes of summer and winter. Issei could feel the emotions hidden within them. A heat fueled by unparalleled rage, but a light blazing from love above his head. A cold thickening from soul-breaking sorrow, but harmony singing from sympathy at his back.

He didn't realize he had stopped walking until Serene went to tug at his sleeve. Issei was staring down the hallway and directly towards the double doors that would lead towards the Sixth Predator.

"What is he?" he ended up asking.

Serene tilted her head, not fully understanding the question. Still, she tried to answer the question to the best of her abilities. "Sir Rolan is many things. The Knight of Honor to the British's Princess, a mercenary for the American Union Postal Service, King Oberon of the Fae, Commander of Legions to the Tempes faction… the list continues."

Issei's memories flashed for a moment to Rolan's… suggestion the other night. About how he should try to get involved with the vampires to acquire another girl for the Rating Game. Issei wouldn't even try to figure out what the point of it would have been. But if Rolan was deep within the affairs of the vampires, Issei would have shot himself in the foot if he actually complied with it.

"_What_ is he?" he tried again.

"An Acolyte," Serene answered a bit more assuredly. "They are a rare breed. Very rare. I am afraid most of the information I have is limited on them. This includes the rare texts and confidential reports made by the Church throughout the centuries in their engagement. They are a pagan order who claim to have ancestry with some higher being. To best describe them… they are a breed of psychics who delve into the spiritual and temporal aspects of reality.

"An Acolyte is normally born with marks on their body, seals crafted by their people centuries ago for the sake of hiding their potential from the world that shuns them. Only the most disciplined of Acolytes may access their abilities, and typically by the time they have fully matured into adulthood. From what Chase has shared with me, an Acolyte's _gifts _are determined by the time of puberty. Whatever your dominant characteristics within your personality is determines what affinity you will be able to utilize."

Issei wondered for a moment if he would have had some sort of perverted power. Like ripping off clothes with his mind or having x-ray vision.

"And Rolan?" he asked while he played with the idea a bit further.

Serene closed her eyes while cupping her hands together. "Chase… was born human. He was not an Acolyte. At least, that is what he has told me. A human turned Acolyte, he said, and will not share how it came to be. He was not born with the seals made by the Observers— the primary Acolyte faction. He was fourteen, they discovered him, marked him a Rogue— something liken to your Strays— and sent one of their best to kill him.

"Their best was an Observer Elite, Kaname Shisharo. You might know him as the former Third Predator."

Issei snapped out of his fantasies to look at Serene. "…Rolan killed a Predator at age fourteen?"

"Chase's Flame and Frost are… different," she answered slowly. "Only Elites deal with Rogues. I cannot say what went through Master Shisharo's mind when he was given this task or when he confronted Chase. But it was apparent Chase was more than capable of killing him, a Predator. I don't know how. It was an impossibility. The World did not recognize him as a Predator. But, when I first met him, he had all of our perks. He was connected to the World and given our level of instinct.

"I believe he cheated," she said with a huff. He noticed whenever Rolan was involved she showed her emotions. "But I don't know how. That's enough for now, Master. I don't believe Lady Leviathan can stall any longer."

He accepted the information with a nod of his head. But as he took those last few steps towards the clubroom, he was puzzled. Some of the information Ludwig had given him on Rolan didn't match with what Serene shared. Serene wasn't lying, at least that was as far as his draconian instincts were telling him. Ludwig had given him as much information as the Round Table had gathered on the mercenary's activities. Ten years of jobs to this current point in time. There was a lot of it to go over and he had barely skimmed through the surface.

But… ten years. Rolan would be twenty-four now if what Serene said was true. But ten years as a mercenary? A mercenary at the age of fourteen? When Rolan started to hand out missions for Issei, he was told no respectable organization would have hired Issei. Rolan represented him, or sometimes accepted the missions for himself and handed them over under the table towards Issei. Did that mean Rolan had the same thing? Maybe that was how he knew so much about the system and shared it with Issei.

No. That couldn't be it. Rolan made personal appearances several times under the alias "Second Symphony". He needed to confirm a few more things with Ludwig when next he could.

"Damn it woman!" was the first thing he heard as soon as he opened the doors. Rolan was sitting on one of the sofas with Serafall directly across of him. He looked ready to jump from his seat to strangle her.

Issei prepared himself to move if he began to turn hostile.

"In episode twenty-one, the Red Blur got his arm cut off and had it regenerated right on the spot!" he continued to shout. "Can any of your magical girls do that?!"

And like that, all sense of purpose was thrown out the window.

Issei remembered watching the entirety of that god-forsaken anime with Ayame. He never got around to watching the OVAs or the movie. Episode twenty-one featured his battle against another dragon that had awakened after a thousand year slumber. It made a volcanic eruption in its outrage, Issei had responded immediately, had battled with it, and had knocked it unconscious for the next thousand years.

He _did _lose his arm in the battle. But instead of it _magically _growing back like how it did in the anime, he took it home with him. Sona was waiting there for him. She freaked the hell out when she saw his arm cut off. Still, she stitched the arm back to the limb as best she could. Luckily, after an excruciatingly painful three days, he was able to move the arm again. A week after that it was back to normal.

Serafall put her dainty hand up to her lips and gave a smug cackle. "Fu fu fu… oh Obi-tan. Episode eighty-nine of **Miracle Levi-tan**, Levi-tan had her entire body obliterated only for the power of So-tan's tears completely regenerate her form cell from cell. Can your steroid-enhanced _heroes _come back from obliteration with a single tear drop from a beloved sister? I think not."

"Episode eleven!" Rolan countered. Immediately, Issei knew what he was going to talk about. "The Red Blur had his skin peeled off from a flame spirit. Armor _and _skin. He grew it back right then and there. No tears needed."

No, actually, it didn't. It took a full day for Issei to recover from that, and not fully; he was healthy enough to return to school by the next day. He still had to bandage most of his wounds until he was better by the end of the week.

"They've been going at it like this for a while…" Akeno stated when she approached Issei and Serene with a tray of tea and coffee. Issei accepted the tea and Serene the coffee. The Queen of Gremory put a hand to her cheek and gave a mirthful smile. "One of the Great Satans and Ultimate Killers having a spat like children over their heroes. It would be silly if it wasn't _him._"

That, and if the idol Rolan was trying to defend was the Red Blur. Not the actual Red Blur either, but the knockoff anime character.

"Dragoon-chan!" Serafall perked up and waved at him. "There you are. We were just talking about you. Come in, come in."

She patted down at the cushion beside her. He wasn't sure how he should react to her character or her choice of words. She wasn't ignorant he had been standing there, he could tell, but complied with the request and moved around the room to sit where she gestured.

He took this moment to look at Rolan. Indeed, it wasn't some avatar of himself. Rolan had come to Japan in person. While his familiar did well to emulate Rolan, having the real one in person gave it a far better sense of realism the familiar could never replicate. His presence was… whole, for lack of a better word.

The Sixth Predator was dressed in questionable attire for his role this evening. It was Rolan who had taught him how to prepare for each mission accordingly. So it came something of a shock to see Rolan not in any tactical gear whatsoever. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt underneath a dark gray hoodie; the sleeves rolled up to his biceps. Instead of cargo pants, he wore denim jeans with the hems shredded. And instead of combat boots, he wore flats. Last, with the sun setting, he was wearing a thick pair of shades.

The only thing Issei noticed that _might _take him seriously was the sports bag tucked at his feet. He could only assume the more essential equipment for the job was in that bag.

Rolan sat forward, his elbows propped on his knees with his hands dangling loosely. With his shades framing most of his upper face, Issei couldn't tell where he was looking at. Only through is Predator's instinct could he tell when those eyes would be looking at him.

He realized _why _he was wearing the sunglasses. For that purpose. In most cases, Rolan had told him once, you can predict what your opponent will do next by watching their eye movements.

Like the unofficial Queen she had sworn herself to, Serene did not join him at the couch but instead moved to stand behind him and slightly to the side. As one would to await further orders or to aid their King in a moment of immediate crisis. The gesture wasn't missed by Rolan.

Everyone was gathered. Rias was sitting at her desk with her peerage standing around her; Irina, the only odd one out, was standing to the side. Akeno had put the tray away as she placed her hands to her front. Koneko kept her hands to her side. Issei could feel how tense they were as their eyes never left Rolan. Asia looked uncomfortable with the way she was fidgeting with her fingers. She looked every now and then between Issei and Rolan, uncertainty on her face.

He realized he never asked her how she knew Rolan or what their past relationship was like.

"Do you know why I am here and not carrying out my job?" Rolan began after a short moment of tense silence. "One of my contracts demand I tell you. The ones who took the Gremory Knight belong to the Grigori. Or previously did. I don't know, I don't care. The fact is, they are Fallen Angels. However, there is no proof they are the ones responsible. The Vampire was the one who took him and the Exorcist, after all. Therefore, if any of you follow me without any clear evidence to their involvement, there will be heavy political backlash on your end."

"…The contract," Serafall began in a firm tone. "What is the purpose of it by telling us this?"

Rolan's face was a blank with his sunglasses masking most of his emotions. It was only through Issei's draconian senses could he tell Rolan was thinking over her question. His mind was… warped. Humans always thought with logic and acted with emotions. Rolan was the exact opposite. He thought with emotions.

"To stop another Great War from breaking out," he eventually answered. "My client gave me orders to watch over this small group and stop them if those are their intentions."

Serafall released a sigh of frustration. "So you would have gotten rid of them on your own? You never needed me to make a contract with you, is that right?"

He didn't answer. "If you want to still follow me, choose your party wisely."

Serafall released another sigh. "Dragoon-chan and I will go, then."

"You know I did say _wisely, _right?" Rolan retorted. "You are the Leviathan. Remember your place. The head of foreign affairs going into a den affiliated with the Grigori? By you simply being there will give them what they want."

"He's right," Issei said before Serafall could put up an argument. Those words didn't taste well in his mouth. But it was true. His Predator's instincts were telling him how everything would go wrong. "I'll go with him. Yeah, they might say something because I'm a Devil. It won't matter if I'm Demon Lord or even as a Pawn of Gremory to them. But… if I announce myself as Eighth Predator…"

He didn't like it. This power. This authority. _No one _should have it. It was too much. With it he had the ability to walk _anywhere _and command anyone to do as he said or have them killed. If he announced himself as Eighth, he will have to make do with that threat. If he did not have the will to kill them, there would be no point in being a Predator to begin with.

No, he knew if he went, whether as a regular Devil or as an Ultimate Killer, death will still be there in his wake. He knew he was going to kill someone tonight.

He hoped that someone would be the Fourth.

"Then we're going too," Rias declared. "Kiba is _my _Knight and I will not leave everything to the hands of my Pawn—"

"No," came three rejections simultaneously. Serafall, Issei, and, of all people, Rolan.

"I've seen your potential in person, Lady Gremory," Serene was the one to speak for everyone. "You fight well as well as your servants. But not well enough. You've still much to learn. I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to go. You mean too much to my master if something were to happen to you."

Rolan's head lifted towards her. "…You didn't."

Serene shook her head. "No. Not yet. I was hoping Issei would have his Evil Pieces by then but…"

"Speaking of which," Rolan dejected from the conversation to face Serafall. "That is the other reason why I am here first and foremost."

Serafall's brows knitted together in annoyance. It didn't look well with someone like her, who was radiant and beautiful when she was happy. With a final huff of annoyance, she extended her hand out with her palm up towards the ceiling. A magic circle appeared, spun, lit up the room, and vanished in quick succession. In her palm appeared an ebony box with silver lining. For a being just a box, it was beautifully made, and no doubt more expensive than anything Issei could afford.

Serafall stood and held both ends of the box in her hands. She did not move. All eyes were upon her. Her head was downcast.

She turned her head to look at Issei. She had a sad smile. "Dragoon-chan, I'm sorry. This was supposed to be yours but… the situation demands differently. Aju-chan worked hard on this set too…"

"Leviathan-sama…" Rias breathed out as if the wind was knocked out of her. "That isn't…?!"

Finally, Serafall moved. She circled around the table and handed the box over to Rolan. There was a moment where the two locked eyes— Rolan lowering his shades to the bridge of his nose for his red and blue orbs to stare at hers. She did not release her grasp right away. Some psychic conversation was shared between them. With a twitch of her lips, she let go.

Rolan opened the box without hesitation. The inside was fabricated with velvet and had specially made slots to hold all sixteen pieces in place. The contents contained chess pieces. As white as ivory bone and carved by a method that humanity could not produce. They were perfect and smooth in their design. They were made neither by glass, metal, or stone. From what Issei could tell, they were manufactured by pure demonic energies given physical form.

They were Evil Pieces.

He picked up his first piece to examine it. The King piece. He lifted it up between his index and thumb. It glowed red by his touch, pulsing between dimming and radiating as it greedily drank in his demonic energies.

"So that's where I went wrong…" he said in such a low tone it was almost missed. The way he said it… perhaps he hadn't noticed he said them aloud. It was more of a thought to himself that had escaped his lips.

He was back in reality in an instant. The box was shut, yet the King piece was still in his hand. They expected him to absorb the piece within his self. He did not. The King piece was tucked inside the front pocket of his jeans.

He stood, circled around the table with the box firmly grasped in his hand…

…and extended it towards Issei.

"What… what are you doing?" it was Serafall who asked this.

Issei looked around the room. Serfall's eyes were frazzled. Rias, Akeno, and Koneko's eyes were wide. Asia was the only one who shared his look of confusion. Serene was staring directly at Rolan; her brows were slightly knitted, indicating she was peeved enough with him to show the emotion. And Irina had her hand over her mouth with shock written all over her.

He and Asia had no idea what this meant.

"I don't need them," Rolan answered. "Fuck formalities. One Demon Lord to another, I'm giving these to you, Hyoudou. You're going to need them if Serene is going to be your Queen."

"You… You can't just…!" Serafall shouted but couldn't find the words to finish her argument.

"Yes I can," Rolan shrugged and shoved the box into Issei's chest. The draconian Devil had no choice but to catch it else have them drop to the floor. "See? Just did. If we're talking about legalities, I still can. A peerage is only permitted a maximum of sixteen, including the King. But some of the more proficient Pieces need a more proficient master. Or, in this case, when the King does not have the necessary potency of Devilry, double the Pieces. If a King requires two Knights or two Bishops to reincarnate a particular individual, what happens when you need two Queens?"

"That…" Rias stood from her seat. "That's eighteen Pawns! What instance would require that much power to resurrect?!"

"_You're _arguing?" there was a bit of humor in his tone, but it was mostly clouded with his sarcasm and irritation. "Fine. Whatever. An answer?"

He pointed at Serene.

"A King may either trade or gift their Evil Pieces to another. It's just never been done so to this extreme because your society runs off of its egotistical feudalistic system. Hyoudou, just know you're going to need more than one Queen if you want Serene in your kingdom. She _is _the Whore of Babylon. You don't have the demonic energies to leash all the sins of the world on your own."

"No, but it might be enough for one night," Serene approached to stand at Issei's side. "Master, if you will still have me, I shall be your Queen. I can use my own sin to channel the Queen piece, but only for a few hours. I don't know what will happen if I overdo it. It may crumble apart such as a conductor with too much power."

"Make it quick," Rolan said. Issei could have sworn he saw the Sixth Predator smile. It couldn't have been there. But… the sun in his summer's aura brightened considerably as though it were true. He moved back to his spot, picked up his bag, and slung it over his shoulder. "I'm moving out."

"Wait!"

"For fuck's… what?" Rolan spun around on his heels. He was ready to lash his tongue out like he had those nights ago when someone said 'wait'. He stopped himself only when it was Asia who approached him.

The former nun had her hands clasped over her chest. Her eyes were pleading. "Mister Chase, please. Be safe. And please take care of Ise."

His brows came together. Her request was outlandish. Him, a Predator, he who can kill anything and may survive against anything in return, was offered a prayer of safety. And asked a request to watch over someone he had wronged greatly.

"…He's a big boy," he said. His bitter tone was gone. There was something gentle in his voice. "He can take care of himself. Have faith in your love."

Like the summer, the winter aura that was his Frost grew steady. The icy wind stopped, leaving only a frozen field of soft snow.

And then, there was nothing.

The summer and winter sensations disappeared. Rolan was looking at Issei. He knew Issei was diving into his emotions and suppressed his energies. A wall was put up to keep Issei from trying to find them again.

He turned back on his heels and left the clubroom.

"Your decision, master?" Serene interjected his thoughts.

Issei didn't have time to think. No, he had already come to a decision. The deal was in order for Serene to overcome her weakness of others knowing her real name, she would become a Devil. _His _Devil. It was an understanding the two of them had. He would comply with her request all in the name of keeping a better eye on her.

Though the storm hadn't completely washed away, it had cleared just enough for him to trust her. If not barely. But it was significantly more than what he was willing to offer to any of his six other seniors.

"…Let's go," he said. He slapped his cheeks. The sharp pain sent joints across his face, making him focus. He needed to get back into the mindset he hadn't been in for so long. A month without being the Red Blur had made him rusty. His skill in battle was still ruthless and unchallenged, but his tactical mindset had crumbled and gained cobwebs. It was taking him a few seconds longer for him to get to start thinking clearly, something that had taken him months of mental exercises to overcome.

When this was over, he will need to go back into his routine. Maybe, just maybe, it would be enough for him to get out and be the Red Blur once more.

"Issei," Rias was right in front of him. She placed her hands over his and gave a firm squeeze. "I believe in you. Bring Kiba back. And make the Vampire regret he stole from me. That's an order from me."

He smiled. "Yes, Buchou!"

"No, Irina, you will stay here," Serene said in the background. While the Gremory peerage was giving their time-consuming departures, she and Irina were discussing quietly amongst their selves. Irina was ready to move out. She was dressed in her Exorcism gear and ready to fight. But Serene would not allow it.

"Sis— Madame Serene," Irina argued. She could no longer qualify Serene as a Living Saint once she had made her decision. Irina understood the sacrifice she was making but could not accept it. Serene was betraying the foundations of the Church and His teachings, no matter how virtuous her reasons were. "Xenovia is my friend and my partner. I can't just—"

"I am leaving you under the care of Serafall Leviathan," Serene cut in. There was no room for argument. "Listen to her. And stay out of trouble."

There was a hint of mischief in her voice. But it couldn't have been there. Right?

*Scene*

It was a labor in itself just to keep breathing. There was no pain. For that matter, there wasn't _anything. _He could have soiled himself and not have known about it. Not that he could have anyways. They cleaned him out and it had been a few days since he's had any food or water.

Yuuto was a husk. He looked like someone who had been dragged through a desert wasteland for weeks. Weeks of living from the barest of moisture he could scrap and what little insects that lived in the sand. His handsome face was sunken with pockmarks, his limbs were mostly bones with sleeves, and his torso was so sunken his ribs were threatening to tear through the skin. His skin was so ghastly pale there might not be a drop of blood left within. All of this had been done to him from the experimentation within the span of two and a half days.

It was difficult to breathe because it was taxing on what energy he had left. He could feel something within him bleeding out. Not a physical wound. Nor was it mystical. It was something _deep. _Something no amount of surgery or magic could repair. Sword Birth was still there, but they had shaved and cut the most vital of pieces from his Sacred Gear. And from those voids remaining were gaping wounds for his life force to bleed out.

He wondered why he was still alive. He did not wonder because he was seeking for an answer, but primarily as a means to distract himself. It gave him a purpose, no matter how small it might have been, to stay conscious. He knew as soon as he lost consciousness he will never wake up again.

"Oh, sure, sure," cackled the purpose of his existence. The sound of his voice made Yuuto focus back again into the real world. He could not completely see. Everything was a blur. But he could never mistake the bulbous form of the heretic. He was taking his time walking down the stairs and into the cellar that kept Yuuto and the Exorcist.

He should damn her for being a wielder of an Excalibur fragment. But he cannot deny she had been a significant help with him. She had been a fellow prisoner, had received just as harsh of a treatment as he, but had been of lesser value to their goals compared to him. They fiddled with her less than he and thus had more vitality. Enemies at first, they became comrades, but still furthest from friends. When left alone for many hours, they talked to another. Silent at first, small conversations came when their boredom and paranoia peaked, and then eventually friendly jabs at another as though they had known another for a number of years.

Even when Yuuto had lost his ability to talk, she continued to speak for him. He wished he could have done something to assure her he was listening. How he wished he could even twitch a finger to answer a yes or no question.

Valper finished climbing down the stairs, still chatting away on his cell phone. "Go ahead. I'll be here, waiting."

His eyes moved towards Yuuto. A twisted smile grew on his face. He shut the phone and strolled towards the weakened Knight.

"It took a bit of time, and I do apologize for it," he offered a cheesy smile that was completely fake and didn't bother to hide it. "But what with all the… distractions, let's say, going around lately I finally remembered which one you were. Number forty-nine. Some of my men called you David. No, that wasn't your real name, we don't know what really was, nor do we care, but you were such a pretty thing as a child we compared you to the Statue of David. You should be happy. You were the only brat valuable enough to have something close to an actual name."

Valper laughed.

Rage seared through Yuuto, but he lacked the power to express it. Not because of the lack of care for him or his dear friends. But because he was forty-ninth on the roster for the Holy Sword Project. The group of friends he had bunked with for the experiment those many years ago only numbered up to thirteen. It meant there were other children he hadn't known about. Children who had been 'adopted' before his arrival or those stationed in another branch.

"We almost succeeded, you know," Valper pulled up one of the stools so he could sit in front of him. He groaned when he sat down and rubbed his left knee. The grandfatherly smile remained on his face as though it were but one of the many troubles he bothered for the sake of seeing his offspring grow up. He looked at Yuuto much the same way. Like a child he had seen grow up and bloomed into something magnificent.

"They're coming for you," he went on. "Three of those—" his smile turned into a sneer as she spat out the word, "…those _Predators. _Naturally, the Church's Divine Beast and your Dragoon. But I did not figure the Sixth would get himself involved. But considering it's _him, _I can understand. He's embarrassed, did you know that? He wants to clean up a mess that he left all those years ago."

Yuuto blinked. His eyes sharpened.

"Oh?" Valper's smile grew from ear to ear. "I would figure no one would have told you. The Dragoon is still fresh. He shouldn't know. I doubt the Valkyrie knows either. They're too young, too young. It would be five years soon. You wouldn't know anything about it but... a brilliant, _brilliant _man was forced to be put down. He created something. Something truly marvelous. Too marvelous, apparently. The seven Predators at the time gathered together to stop him. Whatever it was he made… it forced them to band together to stop him. Something like that hadn't happened since, why, the great beast and death of the Heavenly Father."

Xenovia squirmed where she was shackled. Valper took glee in watching her reaction. Whatever the Fourth did to her made her react in terrible ways whenever God of the Bible was mentioned.

Valper shrugged as he went back to his story. "Whatever that man did made them panic. They didn't want another catastrophe like that to happen again. They started an arms race to breed more of their kind. Terrible, terrible, _terrible— _yet intriguing— methods were exploited. The Holy Sword Project was one such method."

When the world was starting to blur, he forced himself to focus again. He needed to hear this. He needed to know the source of his torture and the pointless death of his friends.

"Let's see… The First financed the whole thing. Gave us resources we had thought were long lost to time and some we thought were unimaginable. The Second gave us the finest of smiths and engineers from his family and magicians under his command. The Siegfried-Germanicus family can make swords parallel to some of our finest of Holy weapons, did you know that? Sir Ludwig von Siegfried made his own versions of Gram, the blade said to be parallel to Caliburn.

"The Third directed us. Most of our researchers came directly from the Church of various branches. Without her we would have fallen apart by our indifferences. But she also gave us insight. Who was blessed, who had the power within them, which one of the children had the highest potential.

"The Fourth… well, there were times when we found the best candidates but had _families. _What a bother those were. Legalities and moral conducts had to be followed. We had him remove those. Parents won't miss their children if they're dead. No one asks questions if an orphaned child no one cares about goes missing. And those who go through such a tragic loss end up being accepted by the Church… and then given to us.

"The Fifth. Oh, the Fifth. That sneaky one. Those who came close to finding out, those who _did _find out, and those who spoke against the Church were silenced by him. I don't know how he did it, what blackmail or bribes he used, but he managed to get even the most steel-hearted on his side. Enemies we had for _generations _became close allies or simply ignored us.

"And the Sixth gave us the knowledge of the original makers of Excalibur. We knew how to forge the blade back together. But what we lacked the most was the compatibility. Who deserved such a blade? Who could unleash its potential to its fullest? The Sixth did not want another King Arthur, a mediocre man despite his exaggerated legend. He wanted a _Predator._

"Orphans weren't chosen at random. Oh no. There needed to be a procedure. Everything had to be meticulously planned with every variable analyzed. Children were chosen because children can be molded with time to become _anything. _But that's not all. We needed children who had a trace of holy essence within them. And not just any holy essence. The most pure and ripe of holy essences.

"We needed children who had the potential to awaken as Living Saints."

He realized his entire life could have been different. He could have belonged to the Church, could have been raised accordingly to the virtues of the scriptures, could have been made into a man of the cloth. Yuuto could have been a Living Saint, could have invoked the Miracles of the Biblical God, and could have been the enemy of all Devils. And, perhaps, he could have been tasked to be here beside Saints Virtue and Serene.

It was not a life he would have wanted. But it would have been a _life. _These people had stolen from him that opportunity. Him, and several others. Those who had nothing to lose, and those who had lost their entire worlds. Some of his friends, he recalled, they had never opened up to him because they never wanted to remember their lives. One boy, he remembered, always changed the subject while another, a girl, broke down into sobs whenever the topic of family was brought up.

His hand twitched. It was the most amount of energy he could muster. His rage had peaked, but that was the most he could do. He could not strangle the man no matter how much he wanted to.

"But, King Oberon," Xenovia spoke up after listening to the story. "He stopped the project when he discovered what you were really doing. And Sister Serene has admitted to knowing nothing about—"

"They're both LIARS!" The man shouted and leapt onto his feet someone his size and weight should not have been nimbly able to. "He knew. He _always _knew! He checked frequently on our progress. He did not care about our methods, only that it would produce one of _them_! For two years this went on. But then, _suddenly, _a little girl gets taken and he changes his mind!

"He came, enraged, and destroyed our facilities. One after another in quick succession. Building after building set ablaze all over the country. We only had few minutes to escape his wrath. To gather what we could take with us. To cover our trail and remove any loose ends."

His eyes narrowed at Yuuto at those words.

"That's the funny thing about performing massacres. One always gets away. But it didn't matter in the end. Sir Rolan found us and destroyed our base of operations. My finest assistants were executed where they stood. A most intolerable wound was given to me and I was to be bound in solitude for fulfilling a task demanded of me by him…"

Valper's hand began to rub at his chest, a mark right over his heart. It was hidden beneath his thick and lavish robes; his face squinted into agony at the merest touch. Rather than avoiding the pain, Valper embraced it. The pain was a reminder, Yuuto saw. It was a drive for him.

"Do you know what he said to me?" The rage was rich in his voice. Such malice belonged to a dark beast of eldritch lore and yet it was voiced through the words of a man. A zealot who believed what he was doing was for the sake of God. "We thought we did something wrong in our experiments. Everything was on schedule. We had made breakthroughs in the technologies of Holy weapons and had found a way to awaken Living Saints that might never awaken. Three children, including you, David, were candidates to become the wielders of the new Excalibur. And Sir Rolan was pleased with the progress. So then, why did he destroy everything for one girl?

"He said _nothing. _There was no answer from him. The cold, merciless look in his eyes was all I saw before he struck me down."

The rattling of chains was the only noise made in the dungeon. Xenovia had adjusted herself to better face the priest from her dark corner. "The girl. Who was she?"

"The Witch Maiden, Asia Argento."

The answer did not come from Valper. Everyone turned to look at the voice lurking at the shadows in the back. None had noticed his arrive nor could they sense his presence. He was nothing but a shadow amongst shadows; only his glowing red eyes could be seen. It wasn't until he stepped forward could they make out his identity.

Kokabiel.

The once Archangel had a grim smile that was between humor and malice. He had been amused with the story just as much as he had been disgusted. It made him look like a feral animal ready to lunge for the kill. Glutinous and ravenous simultaneously.

"Ah, old friend," Valper turned just enough to face the Fallen. "I did not know you were there. How much did you hear?"

"From the beginning," Kokabiel's voice was a chime of song, a sound that did not match his sinister leer. "I had heard much of the Holy Sword Project from Azazel. Only, I had not known it was a puppet act from the world's defenders. It makes me curious to know what it was that drove them to such desperations."

His footsteps made no sound as he glided across the cobbled floor. The pale lights handing above the ceiling did horrid things to his once beautiful appearance. His skin was ghastly, haunting enough to frighten any who would gaze upon him. The grinning sneer of his full of jagged fangs and his glowing bloodstone eyes only added to his visage.

He leaned against one of the operating tables. His features far too smooth. The way he set himself, with his arms resting against the table's edge and his legs crossed, his posture was welcoming and lax. And his tone was like a true gentleman full of respect and courtesy for the lady he was addressing.

But the venom in his tone might as well have been a harmony made out of two grinding plates of iron.

"Interesting, isn't it?" he finished her inquiry with a warm smile. "What was so special about this girl? No one but King Oberon knows. She was a nobody. Born somewhere in Italy, abandoned by her mother, and adopted by the Church. One of the hundreds gathered and another child who would not be missed. It wouldn't be until two years after the closure of the Holy Sword Project would the once Holy Maiden awaken her Sacred Gear. By all means, she should have been _nothing._

"Yet at the mere _suggestion _of her becoming a part of the project did King Oberon declare the project heresy. Years of progress was dismantled and the secrets of the project was revealed to the public. The Church, who denied everything as they have for all other mishaps they are responsible for, condemned those tasked with the Holy Sword Project. Some were excommunicated…"

"Others were imprisoned," gruffed Valper. He once again rubbed the sore spot on his chest.

There was a flash of murderous intent for being interrupted. It was cold and sharp. Yuuto had felt it even if Kokabiel had not directed it towards him. But it was gone just as quickly.

The Fallen continued, "But the fruits of the research was given to the Church. Your exorcism blades and guns of light, for example. Even you Excalibur wielders are byproducts of the Holy Sword Project. Even as fragments, only those of the Pendragon lineage could wield the sacred weapons; and even with their wondrous blood could only the most righteous hold one. The Hold Sword Project changed that. Those who wielded the _light _within them could now be compatible… provided they ingest the miracle elixir."

"…That potion they made us drink," Xenovia gritted her teeth.

"Well…" Valper spoke up, slowly and quietly as he stretched out the one word for dramatic effect. This time, Kokabiel did not react. "It would have been wasteful to just throw away valuable resources. The subjects weren't compatible with Excalibur, sure, but they still had holy properties within them. We extracted that power from them for future research. I had no idea the Church would take them and my research to craft false Pendragon kin."

There was the sound of rattling chain. Xenovia was shaking with rage. She would not be one of the faith otherwise. She had just been told her divine abilities did not come from her unwavering belief in her God. They had come from the deaths of innocents.

"I believe we have spent enough time," Kokabiel said in a dismissive, if not playful, tone. He stood. "They are coming. Is everything ready?"

Valper stood as well, though nowhere near as graceful as the Fallen. He groaned slightly with the effort he needed simply to rise out of a stool. "Oh, yes. We have contingency plans for all three."

"Vali was growing impatient," Kokabiel added with a slight uninterested shrug. It was pointless information to him and said so in a way that suggested it to be more of a message to Valper from Vali. "I will enjoy putting down the Church's Divine Beast. I am interested to know how you will deal with King Oberon."

By this point, the two prisoners no longer existed.

Valper began to follow his investor back up the stairs. "His blasphemous witchcraft is nothing compared to Excalibur now. Especially with what we've done. I believe this is far more powerful than the original. But we will take no chances. All three are Predators after all and we cannot…"

Their voices couldn't be heard any longer.

Yuuto would have slumped if he hadn't already. His body was already sagging where he was sitting on the cold, hard floor. There was no need to chain him like how they did with Xenovia but his captors did so anyways. The dim lights and the dull sound they produced was nothing but a gray background to him at this point.

He was losing a battle against himself. The two that had just left were doing well to keep him focused. The information they had provided simply sat at the top of his skull. He could not ponder the reasons they had for sharing such information nor what he could do with it himself. At this point, such a story might be forgotten.

"It's not over," he heard Xenovia. He heard her hope filled voice but could scarcely register her words. "Sister Serene is coming. Yuuto Kiba, hear me. When she arrives, I will demand her to deliver you first. I may be weakened, but I've the strength to stand and fight on my own. We will leave this place together."

Her words at this point was just one tone, one mono sound. It was just a buzz in his ears.

He was losing his will to stay awake.

*Scene*

Rolan came out of the liquor store with a small pack of beers in one hand and his cell phone in the other. He had just shut it by the time he came out to a patiently awaiting Serene and an _impatient _Issei.

"The fuck?" Issei asked.

He knew he was just 'following' Rolan to find the base where the Fourth had taken Yuuto. But he didn't like the idea of being sidetracked from a whim.

"I must agree," Serene gave her own unique sigh, but barely a small exhale of breath mixed with her words that really couldn't be considered a sigh. "Was there a reason for your… purchase?"

Rolan, still wearing his dark sunglasses in the middle of the night, looked from Issei, to Serene, to Issei again, to Serene once more, and then to the both of them.

"How about you two go fuck yourselves?"

Issei frowned. Well, frowned further. He _really _wanted to smash Rolan's face in since… forever. Being in his company only made the desire grow. But he reeled it in and stored it back in his heart. He did not release his anger, not yet. He would need all his rage for when he confronted the Fourth tonight.

And once the Fourth was taken care of, Rolan would be next.

The Sixth tucked his phone back into his pocket and switched it out for a small circular case. He tossed it at Issei, who caught it masterfully. The case more so flew into his hand rather than him reaching out for it with his unreal reflexes.

He examined it. Breath mints.

"Your breath smells like puke," iterated Rolan as he turned on his heels and began to walk down the road.

The case shattered in his grip. The tiny candies turned into dust by the sudden pressure while the larger chunks just shattered onto the floor. His words had sparked a moment of weakness he did not want to recall. It had been only an hour since Issei had left the student council office. Sona's words continued to haunt him. His desire to kill had haunted him. Giving in to his desires and killing was something he was ashamed of and would grieve over it for the remainder of his life.

It had been Serene he 'killed'. But she raised a good point. What would he have done if it had been anyone else? If it had been an innocent student who had seen him? One of the student council students? Tsubaki or Tsubasa, the two who seemed to care about him the most in the council? Or what if it had been someone from the Occult Research Club?

What if it had been Rias or Asia?

Issei found himself on Rolan's tail by the time he slipped out of his thoughts. Serene was following dutifully at his side, though half a pace behind him. Her position had been intentional, he felt.

The two shared a look. Serene was unreadable as her face was as descriptive as her Saintly name. He probably looked like an emotional wreck. She only nodded. If only he knew what that meant.

"How do you know Asia?" Issei asked after some time walking behind the Sixth.

"That's none of your business," he retorted.

Figures.

But the Sixth continued, "If you're bothered so much, then ask her. She'll probably tell you everything."

Issei turned his head to look at Serene. This time, the Divine Beast wasn't looking at him. She was busy examining their surroundings with a sharp look in her eyes. As if looking out for danger. A few months ago he would have believed her behavior. But after obtaining the Predators' perks he knew just as well as she their internal sonar alerted them to any danger within the vicinity. She was just distracting herself.

She wasn't going to be of any help for this conversation, it seemed.

"I only want your side of the story," Issei tried again. "I know what Asia is."

Rolan did not change his pacing. He only turned his head slightly; not to look at Issei but only to acknowledge his words. "Serene told you? Well. That changes nothing. She should tell you, being the herald of _lies _and everything. Then again, she'll keep her mouth shut whenever truth is involved.

"Fuck if I know, anyways," he muttered. He smacked his lips in thought and pulled on the hem of his sweater, adjusting where it sat from being lifted by his duffle bag. "I've only known Serene for… nine, ten years? Asia's fifteen? Sixteen? I don't remember. Older, regardless. Plus Serene's body is far too gross for anything. So I don't know how it works. This goes beyond time-travel what with how the chronological order is so fucked up—"

"What are you talking about?" Issei had to stop him before his head exploded from the ramblings.

This time, Rolan turned his head just enough to gaze at Issei. "…What are _you _talking about?"

Issei quickly came to realize he had something that Rolan hadn't any knowledge about. But, at the same time, Rolan knew something Issei didn't. The two looked at another through blank faces. A silent agreement went between them; their secrets would be shared if one would be willing to open first.

Issei would keep quiet. He figured it would do more harm to share _anything _with Rolan. It wasn't his secrets to share anyways. They belonged to Asia, even if she didn't know about them just yet.

"Why did you send her to me?" the dragon asked to change the subject. "By the sounds of things… Asia respects you. Why did you betray her?"

"Didn't you hear?" his sarcastic tone returned. "She was tricked by a Devil and was kicked out of the Church for healing him."

He said nothing further as they walked together. Issei looked once more over to Serene, who this time shook her head. She wasn't willing to offer any insight to his inquiry but would do so if through his orders. He wouldn't do that to her. At least, not in front of Rolan. This was a topic that needed to be discussed in seclusion with the subject present with them.

It wasn't until they were outside of the city and hiking up a hill did Rolan speak up. "I have a daughter who is directly linked to the Law of Progress. For someone like you to understand, she has prophetic abilities that are never wrong. Never. I asked her what would happen to Asia if we followed through with the plan. Asia would have been fine. Changed, but fine. She would be happier. And I'm glad to see that she is. The Church is a viper's den; someone like her would have been abused and then tossed away after broken. It's sad when the likes of Devils share more compassion than the men who preach it."

Before Issei could give the little shit a piece of his mind, Rolan stopped walking and turned around. The abrupt halt nearly had the draconian Devil run into him.

"Her prophecies don't tell me the hows. Only the results. I knew Asia would become a Devil but never figured under what circumstances. If she had been marked by the Fourth's blood tributes then Resurrection would not have worked. I could only assume she chose to become a Devil on her own, perhaps because she met you and fell hopelessly in love. The works of heroics will do that, _hero._

"For what it's worth, I am sorry about Ayame Nakashima. I did not know she existed. I did not know she was dragged into my carelessness.

"There were… others," he admitted. "Other girls to consider to steal your heart away. Serene was the one to suggest Asia. I would have said no and chosen someone else. Probably because I didn't want to let go of the little girl. But, in the end, that was why she was chosen to come here in this horrible land. Did you know I've already run into two aliens, a god, and a secret war all within the span of three hours? Fucking damn how I hate this country."

He muttered curses to himself and stormed off back up the road. Issei realized it was a tactic to end the conversation. He also noticed it was a tact for Rolan to stop himself from rambling further. He had let something valuable slip.

He cared for Asia. Asia meant something to him. But what?

Issei looked once more at Serene. Her features were as tranquil as a statue— and that was how Issei learned what emotions she had based on what example of serenity she had. When like this, like a Greek statue, she was in deep concentration of herself and only paying attention to the external world as was required for function. She had heard Rolan's words and were reflecting them in her mind.

Their eyes met briefly. Once again, she shook her head. More secrets she wasn't willing to share.

Issei knew the reasons why Serene wanted Asia out of the Church. He knew why she suggested Asia to be a part of the plan with the Fourth. He only wanted to hear Rolan's part of the story. His inquiry had split the story apart with holes that needed to be filled. More questions that needed to be answered. It hurt his head trying to piece everything together. He would have liked just a straightforward answer but knew something as simple as that would never arrive. There were two sides to every story and this one, apparently, had several branches of those two sides.

Why was everything so damn complicated when his seniors were involved?

Half an hour later, they arrived at their destination. It had been outside the city, almost within the territory of the neighboring one, and hidden within a mass of hills and trees.

It was once a cathedral. Once immaculate, he figured, with its white stone and beautiful architecture. It was more modern looking than the gothic structure he had seen in books and the internet. But it had been abandoned after some time. Weeds and rot grew on the outer gardens and walls. The pathway was covered with dirt. The only way he could tell it had once been a place of worship was because of the stain marks— the faint lines of where a crosses once hung left faint marks.

He could not sense anyone inside. Neither through his draconian senses nor through his Predator instincts. All life had abandoned this place.

"He's here," Serene stated factually. Her eyes were locked on a blank white surface of a marble pillar.

Issei didn't see what she was staring at.

Rolan noticed, walked up towards another pillar, and tapped one finger on its surface. Even under those shades Issei could tell what kind of belittling look the Sixth was giving him.

Issei strolled up to what he had gestured towards. Again, he saw nothing. Maybe what they were looking at was invisible through some magic?

"Look harder," Rolan stated.

"It's small," Serene elaborated better.

His eyes turned green as he channeled his power through them. They readjusted accordingly to his desires. He could make out each drop of chipped paint from the pillar. And there, so miniscule it was almost ridiculous, was but a drop of blood.

No. The blood was in a perfect shape. He focused harder, this time magnifying his sight to see the finest details the size of a needle point. And still the red image was small. He would grow a headache if he strained his eyes further.

But it was there. A magic circle made out of blood, _somehow _smaller than the point of a needle. He wouldn't even try to figure how that was physically possible— not that anything seemed to be possible to begin with in regards to the Fourth.

He shut his eyes and put them back to their regular sight.

"You can see that?" he asked while the strain in the back of his mind was quieting down.

Serene shook her head. "No. But I am familiar with his taint of pagan rites."

"I can," answered Rolan. "Probably better than you. But I don't know if an Acolyte's vision is better than a dragon's for sure."

Again, before Issei could say his piece, Rolan turned and went down the main path towards the entrance. Six steps in and he suddenly vanished from Issei's senses, including his Predatory ones. Though he could clearly see Rolan in clear view, Issei could not acknowledge his presence.

Serene walked up to the invisible line Rolan had passed through yet stood still. She pulled out the Queen piece from her robes but fiddled with it between her fingers.

"Serene," Issei called out to her. "You don't have to do this. I can take care of the Fourth myself."

"I am not doubting your credibility, master," she said slowly in a careful tone. She turned her head and regarded him with faint traces of concern and… passion? Loyalty? "This is my decision. Remember, I am using you just as much. With this, I will be free from the Church indefinitely."

She said nothing further as black tendrils of sinful energies surged from her fingertips. Like parasitic veins, they latched onto the Queen piece and devoured it. The Evil Piece sank into the flesh of her palm. Her eyes were closed. At first, there was no difference. In a second, he began to sense the change. Her… unsettling signature began to shift into the familiar demonic energies he had grown accustomed to.

He became terrified of her.

The sin within her was vast, possibly infinite. It was either converted into demonic energy or the sin within her was amplifying her natural demonic energies from the chess piece. Regardless, from the small seconds of being turned into a Devil, Serene became far more powerful than any Devil Issei had come across. Serafall and Grayfia _combined _were nothing before her. Serene's power was simply a world of its own.

He understood Serafall's dejection of her becoming a Devil. She was, indeed, the most powerful Devil with all the sins of the world powering her demonic might. However, this transformation was only temporary. Serene only had a few hours until the Queen piece shattered from the strain. She was simply too powerful to be reincarnated by normal means. And Issei didn't have the power within himself to support her. He barely had any demonic energy himself; just enough to keep his Pawn pieces burning and what rudimentary spells he could not screw up on occasion.

Serene followed Rolan and immediately vanished from Issei's detection. What wall they passed through made their presence hidden by everything except sight.

Issei quickly followed, jumping every other step to catch up to them. He passed through the invisible line he had marked in his mind's eye and he could suddenly pick up their presences once more. His draconian senses also picked up several signatures of energy within as well as the interior of the cathedral. He immediately honed on Yuuto's signature. It frightened him how fragile it was; but barely a whickering flame ready to die out compared to what it was just days before.

He tripped on an uneven crevice. One tile was higher than the other. He didn't see it as he had been too distracted by counting and marking the life within the building. He fell flat on his face before he had a chance to catch himself.

"…God fucking dammit," he heard Rolan swear.

Issei put his palms to the floor and tried to push himself up. Jagged rock dug against his skin but could not pierce through. Still, there was a bit of noticeable pain. But when there would have been a chance of receiving any damage, the World would have alerted him and his body would have moved accordingly to avoid it. It was a grace his body had synced with.

That instinct wasn't there right now. What barrier the Fourth had created around the territory had completely sealed it away from the World. Here, Issei had no backing from the planet. His Predator's instincts he had just barely gotten used to were no longer present. It was not telling him of the potential danger that might harm him. An enemy could be lurking outside his natural senses and he wouldn't know about it. He couldn't tell how dangerous the enemy was within other than both his draconian and Devil survival instincts.

At the same time, it was a blessing. The voice in the back of his mind to constantly kill was silenced. The lack of it was strange, at first, but soothing by the time he brought himself up to his knees. He couldn't help but look around, as though being reborn in a new body. He was looking at the world like how he used to, from a time before he was fully acknowledged as a Predator.

He was not angry. He was calm. He could think for himself.

"Master, please," Serene was at his aid and pulling on his arm. He noticed the small tint of concern in her voice. She was afflicted by the barrier as well.

He found it so easy to slip back into focus. A habit he had three years to follow came back to him as mandatory as breathing. A list was processed in his head, a checking of his environment, enemies, innocents, potential casualties, weather conditions, layout of the building, and all else Sona had drilled into him. He had come here with the intentions of killing first and saving Yuuto second.

Now, his hero's training had come back to him like an old friend. Without the World ruling his mind with vengeful thoughts, he could focus on saving his friend first and _then _dealing with the Fourth afterwards. Yuuto's safety was his priority.

"I'm fine. Let's go," he said with a smirk of confidence he hadn't felt since before this whole mess consumed him. He felt like a hero once again, not a savage killing machine who was starving for blood. He was a defender of the people once more.

*Scene*

The interior of the cathedral shaped no better than its exterior. The place had been looted by vandals, had paint peeling and vegetation sprouting through neglect, and clouds of dust gathered everywhere. However, it was still in far better shape than the lone church perched at the edge of Kuoh. At least this place still had a ceiling… though Issei would admit to have been at fault for making the place crumble.

The three walked into the main antechamber without any sense of precaution. At least Issei made sure to notice his surroundings and keep track of any movement his draconian senses could allow. He couldn't tell if Rolan and Serene had any defenses without their Predatory senses. No doubt they would, as the three went head first into the fray of the enemy.

Up in the rafters, squatting on statues near the ceiling, or leaning against the railings on the second floor were a small legion of Fallen Angels. Issei noted each and every one of them as well as how potent their light essence was. Most were just pinions of two wings. But he saw a few that had four, a lesser amount who had six, and two who had eight wings.

The three most dangerous of enemies stood at the ground level, still surrounded by other Fallen of insignificant rank.

The first was a bulbous old man dressed in white priestly garbs. He had a pencil-thin mustache and a pair of specatcles he was rubbing with a kerchief. Other than that, he was of no considerable value other than him being the only mundane present. However, the glint of his eyes and a holy radiance surrounding him made Issei be wary of him.

The next was a Fallen bearing ten wings. He was nowhere near on par to the likes of Serafall, and therefore leagues away from matching against Issei, but his holy presence was the strongest within the room. Despite his lax posture, the man was more than ready to kill at any second. His powerful build suggested he was a warrior of skill that surpassed Issei's experience.

The last… Issei stared long at. A young man perhaps a year or so older than he. Perhaps of the same age. His silver hair and blue eyes were rare, indeed, but not special. It was the challenging smile and the glint of excitement that had Issei on edge. The young man was staring back at Issei through barely contained thrill. Something within the both of them were stirring.

A primal feeling was rising from Issei's core. A surge of _want _he could not fully understand. It was similar to the desire to draw blood but not quite as loud as the World. He didn't understand it, or its originations, but he had the desire to fight this young man. He wanted, almost _needed, _to show he was superior.

He ignored the feeling and walked further into the antechamber. He stopped a quarter way in, just enough to be outside the boundaries of the Fallen and without being surrounded. Serene followed his example, probably would have done so herself regardless, and stood at his side.

Rolan, however, continued to stroll forward. He only stopped when he was a polite ten feet away from the three at the altar. "The fatass still here?"

The Fallen gave a leer, but said nothing.

The priest looked apologetic, "Ah, him? I'm sorry, but the young man claimed he got tired of waiting and… strolled off. I'm afraid I don't know where he is."

"Fuck…" groaned Rolan as he took off his shades. "Fucking seriously? Well, shit. Fine. Bought a couple of beers for us. You don't look like the type to drink but you can give them to your mooks."

…That was the reason for stopping at the liquor store?

"Let's get to the point," Rolan started again, his voice shifting into an unarguable tone. It was sharp and cold. "There's an Exorcist by the name of Xenovia. I know she's here. I'm under orders to bring her back. Will you hand her over or do I have to—"

"Oh, you can have her," sneered the priest.

"…Surely you didn't mean this was your plan?" the Fallen at his side asked.

The priest elaborated while he waved his hand around. The disgust was clear on his face. "During our experimentations we found something of vital importance. It was a good thing too or it would have ruined the entire affair. We found a trace of…"

He spat to the floor.

"Jew blood. One-sixteenth. But more than enough to ruin _everything._"

"Yeah, that'll do it," agreed Rolan. "So, if you don't mind, I'll just be taking her and be on my way."

"Of course," nodded the priest as he gestured towards a side door, which is what would lead to Rolan's target.

"Wai—" Issei took a step forward to intercept Rolan before he walked off. Serene stopped him, tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. He gave her a questioning look. She shook her head, but unlike before he could read the emotions on her face. She was telling him there was a plan and he needed to be patient. An opportunity will present itself.

He didn't like it. But he listened to her.

"Do you no longer care about the Holy Sword Project?" the Fallen asked when Rolan had walked past them.

The Sixth stopped walking to answer. "I can already tell you people failed. What you made is only one-tenth as powerful as the original Excalibur. And we've made stronger weapons since then. Above all…"

His eyes went over towards the priest.

"The problem has always been the compatibility. If the vessel is weak, so too will the weapon. I don't care if you've put the pieces back together, turned it into a Sacred Gear, or replicated Durandal's Separation Miracle. The vessel is _weak._ You people _failed._"

The priest looked offended by his analysis. "Are you certain? You do not know what else I've installed in the blade."

"I'm King Fucking Oberon," he said before resuming his steps. "I know _everything _about my domain. What you did to Excalibur included."

He was gone, sinking down the hallway and into the darkness until only the faint simmering of his aura remained within Issei's senses.

Serene let go of his sleeve and gestured for him to proceed.

"I'm here for my friend," he barked and gained the attention of everyone within the building. "I am a Pawn of Rias Gremory, and you guys took her Knight. I am Demon Lord of this country and I will not turn a blind eye against what you did."

His power filled the room. His eyes glowed green as he let loose just a small trickle of his draconian essence. An unnatural wind began to blow. At his back, Serene supported his aura with a mixture of taint from her sins. A wind of black and crimson flowed around the room. It made him appear all the more dominating and dangerous.

"And I am Eighth Predator, the Dragoon," he said through a heated voice. The World did not support him, giving him words of power. But his claim still had an effect in the room. Many Fallen, perhaps not knowing what they were involved in, recoiled in fright.

"I warned you. If I ever saw a single Fallen in my territory I would repeat what I did to Raynare to the trespasser." Sparks of crimson energy cycled around him. Destruction any dragon can wrought was his to control. He need only imagine its shape and it would appear as so. Lightning cracked like a whip around him, breaking stone and marble. The wind picked up, searing not the flesh but the soul. Two-winged Fallen shrieked as they leapt away, hid behind pillars or hallways, and wreathed in pain that was not physical.

All the while, the young man with silver hair had his smile thicken. His hand was stretched out in front of him, letting the winds burn his hand while admiring its power. His excitement was growing.

"Oh, please~" the _human _priest cackled. He hadn't been affected by the draconian wrath when he was the most susceptible of the bunch.

He swung his arm. A glowing light appeared. A light Issei had seen before and recognized its signature. It belonged to Yuuto's Sword Birth and even had a trickle of his demonic essence within it. But it was overshadowed with a holy essence that made Issei's eyes widen with alarm. He was hardly a Devil, but the light was more than enough to kill him if he chose to get anywhere near close to it.

Serene pulled at him with inhuman strength. The priest brought his arm down and there was a slash of a white light cutting through his destructive winds. The holy power emitted a heat that made his skin blacken. And he hadn't even touched it!

The wounds on his skin were already being absorbed by Serene, harming her body, and then being drunk by her Creyroux. She was at his side, her body turned and coiled, ready to pounce into action.

The priest held a blade made of gold and cobalt. It was… beautiful. Impossibly so. It was a bastard sword meant for war and yet was more ornate than any decorative weapon could ever hope to be. Its golden blade was etched with a forgotten language running up its spine.

It radiated a light. It wasn't bright, but it was strong. Like harmful radiation he could feel his body aching simply by being exposed to it.

"A failure, he says," snarled the priest. "Pah! What does he know? Excalibur works just fine."

Issei found his breathing hitched. Excalibur. They had done it. They had replicated the blade. Yes, he could feel its power and confirm it. The weapon in the man's hands was immensely more powerful than any of the fragments Xenovia and Irina possessed.

"Stay behind me, master," Serene whispered under her breath. Only he could hear her and only through his super hearing. "I still possess Creyroux and its Transfer of Sin. I may survive Excalibur. You cannot."

"Compatibility was always an issue, did you know?" the priest went on. He waved Excalibur around as though it were a mere stick instead of a weapon half his weight. "As a boy, I loved such legendary weapons. I always wanted to be able to wield one of the Holy weapons. But I was so distraught when I found out I wasn't _compatible. _But that never stopped me, oh no. It's why I've researched so much into it. It's why Oberon chose me for the Holy Sword Project. No one knew more about Holy weapons than I."

He ran a finger against Excalibur's sleek surface. The blade, in response, flashed as though a loving pet. "And now, thanks to your little heathen friend, compatibility is no longer an issue. With his Sword Birth, I am the master of Excalibur!"

"What… what did you do to Yuuto?" rage swept through Issei. His eyes flickered to every Fallen within the room. Haunting memories of his failure to save Asia flashed through his mind. The Fallen had extracted her Sacred Gear and moved it inside Raynare. That had killed the nun.

The priest didn't answer. His smile only grew.

"What. Did. You. Do—"

The Fallen at the head waved his hand towards Issei. It was a gesture of permission.

"Balance Breaker!" cried the young man in battle-hungry glee.

[Vanishing Dragon Balance-Breaker!] echoed a voice that rang within the mind instead of temporal space.

Issei's eyes widened. Serene jumped in front of him. There was only a streak of pure white light. A light he never thought he would see here.

He recognized the young man finally. He should have known that signature immediately. They had never met before, but three years of playing chase had made him acknowledge his pursuer.

**"Balance Break—!"**

His world rattled as he was struck by a being who was flying at the _speed of light_. He didn't get the chance to summon his armor. The White One wrapped his arms around his waist and tackled him at full speed. Issei spat blood and nearly had half his body split in two by the force. His ribs broke and his spine nearly severed. An internal organ— he couldn't tell which— burst apart and stabbed him with agonizing pain. Darkness consumed his vision but he refused to fade out.

He would survive. He would recover. His archrival knew well of his limitations. After all, he had been studying him for three years, more than eager to confront him in their destined duel.

The White One dragged him out of the cathedral, up towards the open sky, and far away from the main land all within the blink of an eye. They were nothing but a small speck, but a twinkly in the heavens among the thousands of stars.

Serene had no choice but to confront the Fallen and the Excalibur on her own. She could only have faith that Issei would triumph against the White Dragon Emperor.

Creyroux was in her hand in a flash of red light. It interested her how the light changed after her alignment. As she was no longer a Living Saint was the blade no longer a Holy weapon. It pulsed in her grip, alive and fully aware of her thoughts. It fully accepted itself as a Demonic weapon just as much as it had as a Holy weapon.

It was a weapon. Nothing more. Nothing less. It only basked in the devouring of sin.

"I don't know what your intentions are, but don't you believe this is enough?" she asked as she took small steps forward. One foot in front of the other in careful strides. The enemy was still her enemy and wouldn't hesitate to cut her down. As a Devil, Excalibur's radiance was burning her. But she was able to hide her wounds by having Creyroux devour the wrong just as quick as they came.

The Fallen, Kokabiel, she knew who he was, raised a brow at her question. He answered through a cool tone. "No. It is never enough. Not until _I _take what is rightfully mine."

"And that would be…?"

His smile turned crooked. Far too many teeth and far too sharp. "War. Another Great War. When I have straddled and defiled the Church's Divine Beast, I will be marching to that school where the sisters of Lucifer and Leviathan reside. I will do the same to them. Defile them, kill them, and post their heads on pikes for the world to see. Heaven will descend for slaying you. And Hell will rise for slaying them. And we, the Fallen, shall be victorious!"

She flicked Creyroux. The swipe cut through the air fast enough to split the air, creating a small wave of cutting wind. But that wasn't her intentions. A blade of sin, full of nothing but **murder**, traveled towards Kokabiel as fast as a missile. Faster than a bullet, swift enough to make the air scream in its volley, no protections the Fallen had in his arsenal could save him. His goal will die with him.

_Seven _Excaliburs appeared in front of him. Their combined light formed a shield that dissolved her sin before it could even strike at the golden surface. The blades floated there; he gripped one and the remainder vanished.

She had to reevaluate her enemy. Multiple Excaliburs could be crafted. Each one just as bright as the last. Her Creyroux was just one weapon. A weapon of unlimited power, but one with _limited _channeling.

Her blade pulsed again. With two Excaliburs present, it was working harder to devour her wounds. Still not a problem, but it will be noticeable should any more arrive.

She regretted having that thought. She was damning her own fate.

The Fallen had gathered their courage since Issei had been thrown out of the chamber. They circled around her. But instead of blades and spears of light… came Excaliburs.

The room was blazing like an inferno to her. Her skin was crackling, burning, eating away at her meat. She could feel her muscle tear apart and what bone exposed crack. She gripped Creyroux harder; the silver blade turned crimson as it devoured all the vices done onto her. Her wounds weren't so much as being healed as they were being _corrected. _There cannot be any damage to her body if there was no sin to begin with.

The priest, Valper Galilei, looked at her critically. "Oh? Oh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh. Oh."

Confusion, realization, delight, and then disappointment all went through his face. "Well, this is quite the shame. The Church's Divine Beast— if I can still call you that— reduced to being a lowly wolfhound of the Devils."

Kokabiel's smile grew. "She is a Devil."

Suddenly, the Fallen surrounding her gained further courage. They were now fearless as they each held the ultimate weapon against Devils in their hands.

"You mistake something, Galilei," Serene spoke with something of amusement in her tone. She would never admit it. She did not enjoy battle. She merely accepted that death happens when you cut into someone. There was no pleasure in making the opponent piss and shit themselves or begging for mercy or a God that no longer existed. Certainly not. "I am still the Divine Beast. But by becoming a Devil, I am no mere wolfhound.

"My new master allows me to roam without a leash."

She leapt at the first group of Fallen. Creyroux flashing in a steak of crimson just as beautifully as the crimson life it had drank within the first blow.

* * *

**Servant of Oppai**

**Part 3 (Finale)**

He was busy trying to figure out where things went wrong… while trying to survive the next wave of attacks.

They had grown tired of his meddling, it would seem. It wasn't his fault. His summoner had given him explicit orders to protect Shirou whenever the red-haired magus was in trouble. And he was in trouble _a lot. _So, naturally, Issei had to follow the guy almost wherever he went. And, _naturally, _he had to get himself involved whenever one of the Servants decided to kill him for being an enemy Master.

Eventually, enough was enough. Tohsaka Rin, Saber, Illyasviel von Einzbern, Caster, and some random blonde chick named Luvia (he had _no _clue how to say her full name so just left it as Luvia) joined forces to assault the Rider Servant.

They kidnapped Shirou. He had no choice but to go and save him… again. The World had told him it was a trap yet he dove straight in anyways.

Rin and Luvia bombarded him with gems and those black orbs from their fingertips. He had no idea what they were supposed to do but they couldn't really touch him while he was in Balance Breaker. Even the more high-class spells to bind him snapped with a few Boosts.

Illya commanded her Servant to crush him. It did not work, as it never did. This would be the fifth bout he had with Heracles and it never went with the Berserker's favor. Once again, Issei had killed him in the confrontation. He did not know how many more lives the bronzed hulk had.

Caster… he simply felt sorry for. He didn't really how powerful his Dress Break had been. Apparently, Caster couldn't put on _any _clothes since his Dress Break was still active around her. It was more of a curse locked inside her soul than a simple spell. He put too much power into it.

She was rendered to wear nothing but cardboard boxes. Well, not really _wearing _them else Dress Break would activate and tear them apart. She was reduced to squatting inside the box and using her magic to make it slide across the floor. She did this while chasing him, even flying through the air in her little cardboard contraption, and tried to shoot him down with her prana missiles.

It donned on him none of her attacks could actually touch him and so stopped trying to dodge. Her attacks felt like water balloons splashing on the surface of his armor and virtually doing nothing.

Caster gritted her teeth, her face flushing with frustration. It made her look adorable.

Saber was the last hope. He hated fighting her the most. She was ruthless and a simple nick of her Noble Phantasm hurt almost as much as the True Longinus. Even being just a fraction of a Devil made him susceptible to the most Holy of weapons. And Saber was, as her Class self-explained, was a master among masters with the blade.

They clashed, as they had before on occasion. His Vorpal only did so much against her Excalibur. The blades were on equal terms but their wielders were not. Saber was the more skilled fighter and had learned quickly on his habits. Only his instincts as a Predator was giving him the upper hand. But he was always on the defensive.

However… Bilingual was _still _in effect just as much as the Dress Break on Caster. Saber did well to hide her intentions from Issei— probably through some sort of meditation or battle preparations he himself used— but was pointless as Saber's heart and her breasts were not in agreement. Saber viewed herself as a King first, a Servant second, and _hardly _a woman at all. That's where her breasts had been distraught. They were small, sure, but they were proud.

They had no shame in telling Issei all of Saber's secrets. All of them.

He didn't need to know that futa had been around since the 700s…

"Riiiiiidddddeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr!" she cried as neither of them were winning this battle.

"Saber-ojousan," he sighed while going through the typical motions of swordplay. Their bouts were just enough for him to sink into his instincts and let his body move on its own. "Why do you hate me so much? What did I do to you?"

She seemed so appalled by his question that she stopped her strike mid-swing. Her body shook as her face turned red. Tears threatened to break. "You… What you did in the previous War… I can never forgive. I have learned you are not a copy but the actual Servant Rider from then. Usurper of Ddraig, you shame the Great Welsh with your debauch ways! For women everywhere, I shall be your vanquisher!"

He received a mental image of her breasts shrugging. Her boobs would be of no help to him from this point on.

"Shit!" he shouted as he narrowly dodged a swipe that nearly decapitated him. But while he ducked, he received a boot to his chest. He knew it was coming but had no way of avoiding it. He could only go along with the force in order to distance himself from her.

A bombardment of spells courtesy of Rin, Luvia, and Caster met him. They were powerful when combined and empowered with their gems, but did nothing more to him than distort his vision. However, in a battle of supreme beings such as Servants, such a distraction was more than enough.

Saber was upon him in a flash. He raised Vorpal but missed the angle. Excalibur slid down its vibrant edge and carved into his knuckles. His draconian armor peeled away by her golden blade and drew blood with the flesh exposed. Its holy affinity burned his skin and brought him reeling in pain. It made his head ring.

His body moved on its own, taken entirely by instinct for the solemn purpose of survival. He gained distance once more when Saber tried for a follow-up strike. His heels slid against the floor to keep himself upright after leaping away a great distance from her.

Berserker was up. He was angry. And he was swinging at his blindside.

Well… shit.

Vorpal disappeared back inside his armor.

**"Promotion: Knight!"**

The transformation had been faster than the Servant of Madness. Metal compressed, turned sleek, turned far more aerodynamic with its edges slanted appropriately. Barrels and tubes extended out of his joints and back. His draconian powers compressed, folding inside his body until it was barely restrained and ready to explode.

Combustions erupted from his back and elbows, jolting him forward and away from Berserker. He swerved around Saber, swiveled around the remainder of the girls, slid and spun with wheels at his feet, and stood at the far end of the street a hundred feet away from everyone else. He had been a blur, as was his heroic namesake, and a fierce wind nearly knocked them around by his passing.

They all blinked together. Shirou was untied and under his arm. The poor third-rate magus was reeling with a wobbly head, dizzy from the sudden speeds.

Issei brought two of his fingers up. Every girl had their face drain of blood. They knew that position. They moved. Spells were casted, Servants flew, but none of them would make it to him in time.

He snapped his fingers.

In the short flash that he had moved, he had been able to mark them with his Devil's magic. They hadn't even noticed. And now it was too late. This was his revenge for making him work more than he needed to. The War was good and done and yet they still bothered him. He wanted to grope Sakura's breasts dammit!

But, he figured it was all worth it with the display he just made.

Clothes tore apart. Even Caster's little box was affected. Every woman was exposed to him. They wailed, screamed, tried to cover their selves, but it only added fuel to his perversity! There was something truly marvelous about a girl trying to hide their shame. It made him want to see their flesh _more_! But, with time slowing to a crawl through his Knight Promotion, he had been able to catch a glimpse of everyone while they were still in shock.

He had been able to memorize each and every one of their figures. That new girl, Luvia, certainly had some amazing breasts. Nowhere near as great as his summoner's, but still pretty bountiful.

The fun went away. Danger spiked. He turned at the sudden appearance of an enemy he could not ignore. Why, it threatened his position as a Predator.

"I am glad to see you haven't lost your treasure, Child of Chaos," the newcomer smirked with an aura of superiority that was rightfully so. She sat at the top of a brick wall, gazing down at him like a god of dark tricks.

She was beautiful. She wore boy's clothes of a white shirt, black pants, leather boots, and a golden necklace. But she was simply divine. Her blonde hair was as golden as the sun's rays, her red eyes glowed with a divinity that was neither godly nor demonic but something of its own class, and her body was molded by hands not of this world. Everything about her was perfection. Why, even her breasts were marvelous despite her baggy boyish attire.

That amused smile of hers turned into a sneer. "Have you forgotten about me, Dra'cueri? Why do you look at me with such eyes?"

Issei scratched the back of his helm, awkward of the question. "I'm going to assume you're talking about the Fourth War… which I have no clue about. Seriously, I don't remember being in it. I was only summoned into the Fifth, I swear."

The woman regarded him for a moment, examining his reaction. Something flashed in her eyes until they grew with understanding. "I see. You have _yet _to be a part of it. This may be my second time meeting you, Dra'cueri, but this would be your first. You will not remember the dreadful sin you have wrought me. How… unfortunate."

Her eyes traced down the road and examined the perversity he had done. There was another flash in her eyes, one of righteous fury, at the sight of Saber. "You continue to defile _my _Saber. This, I cannot forgive."

Saber's eyes widened. "You… Impossible. You are the Archer of the previous War? But… you are a woman!"

Rage swept through the Archer, maddening levels as his prana spiked. But it was calmed with unsettling ease. His command over his power rivaled the elementals and the gods Issei had confronted in the past. Just in case, he took a few steps away, lowered the still dazed Shirou to the floor, and put himself in front of his charge.

Illya then spoke up, "Eh?! No way! That's impossible! A Servant can't last this long without the support of the Grail."

"But you can feel it, right?" Rin said at her side. "That power. If he's not a Servant then she's one of the most powerful Dead Apostle Ancestors."

"Either way…" Luvia added, "she's out of our league. She's more powerful than the average Servant."

Caster would have added something. But she was occupied crying her eyes out and muttering about how she can no longer be a proper bride. Again. For the fifth time.

"Dra'cueri," Archer ignored the peanut gallery and addressed Issei once more. Seriously, he didn't know what that name meant. His Devil tongue wasn't translating it for him. "Let me show you of the wrong you have delivered me. It is only fair to show you the crime you have committed before executing you."

She stood and put her hands around the collar of her shirt. Issei braced himself. He ran scenarios in his head and worked plans. His priority was everyone's safety, regardless if they had wished him harm previously. They had been harmless in their ploys. They didn't deserve to be killed because a chick as mentally unstable as she was hot was, well, mentally unstable.

"Behold!" she cried out.

Issei was struck a most dolorous blow. His head rocked back. Blood gushed out from behind his helmet. His knees buckled as he fell on his rear.

"Shit… it's too much…" he said in a weakened voice.

Archer had torn her shirt down the middle, leaving her torso exposed. She wore no bra. Her breasts were for his to see. And they were _magnificent. _They were not big enough for him to bury his face in, but nor were they small and easily ignorable. They were well shaped, the skin a pearly white, the nipples pink like cherry blossoms. Alone, these qualities would have made decent breasts. But together, they were superior to Sona's.

He gasped. They were better than Serafall's!

He gasped again. They were better than _Rias'!_

He didn't think it was possible. Breasts better than what he believed to be the Ultimate Oppai?! Breasts blessed by the Chichigami Herself?! What monster of a woman was this Archer?!

"You damn fool!" she shouted. "The scar! Behold the scar you've left!"

He looked again. Oh yeah. He was too engrossed with her breasts that he couldn't see the red light running down her chest. It should have been obvious, what with the scar being pink and her skin pearl. But, he had done that? Or will do that?

Argh. His head hurt.

Archer rubbed two fingers down the line of the scar. "This is something you've left that I can never forgive. You've not only soiled my perfect body but you've defiled it to fit _your _disgusting tastes. I once appreciated you, _Dragon Lord, _respected even, but now I see you for the filth that you are. I had admired your drive to become the Harem King, for it was a title I was proud of myself and would have gladly given it if you've proven your worth.

"But I am the fool. I never believed you would have tried to usurp my throne this way. My respect is lost. You have earned the ire of the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh! For turning me into a woman, I shall smite you where you stand, cur!"

A wall of gold air shimmered behind Archer. Portals linking into a pocket dimension opened as weapons of immaculate legend poked out. Weapons of all kind, of every shape, of every era, of every power imaginable, of lost civilizations and lost technologies. Weapons capable of rewriting reality and to split the world in half. All of these appeared, ready to strike down Issei.

But Issei was frozen. His eyes were wide as he was staring directly at Archer.

"No, it is I who cannot forgive you, King of Heroes," Issei slowly began to stand to his feet. His armor glowed an eerie light as the wind around him began to pick up. Crimson lightning surged as his power doubled over and over again. The World that was Gaia could not keep up acknowledging his presence. He was warping the space around him.

"How dare you," he continued, his voice echoing. The Bounded Field concealing their supernatural battle cracked, threatened to crumble apart and expose them to the real world. He did not care. His rage only continued to grow. "I had thought you were perfection. I had thought you were the superior one. I would have bowed to you— I almost betrayed the one I love with your appearance. But, now I have been shown the truth. I will kill you. I will correct this error on this World else I cannot declare myself the Dragoon.

"A man must NEVER have better oppai than a woman!"

He roared in righteous anger. The ground caved in. The Bounded Field crashed into millions of fragments of prana glass. They rained down on everyone.

A titanic clash erupted. Blades of unrivaled quality and uncountable quantity fired off at a lone hero of unparalleled might.

*Scene*

It had been a draw. He cursed himself. Not that either of them were truly going all out. Despite his rage, Issei still had to make sure everyone else was protected. He could not dive deep into his greatest and most destructive of powers without ruining the landscape. Gilgamesh as much the same. He wanted to slay Issei, yes, but he also wanted to defeat him like a hero would slay a monster. Their battle needed to be on equal terms and needed to be at their best.

Gilgamesh took Shirou to make sure this happened. Issei had no choice but to listen to his demands and meet him in battle. They would clash at Ryoudouji when both were well rested. Issei only needed a large meal to regain his energies.

The girls, who were once his enemies, had decided to put their hatred for him aside and assist him in rescuing Shirou. It would seem they all had a thing for the red-haired magus. A plan was drawn up. Issei would distract Gilgamesh just enough for the girls to slip through and take Shirou away. And then, Issei could go all out and fight Gilgamesh with everything he had.

His instincts as a Predator were telling him how powerful Gilgamesh truly was. He will need something more than what he already had in order to defeat him. One strike of Vorpal would not be enough. The Servant was corporeal, real somehow, and his blade couldn't touch him. His Noble Phantasms, however, could. Then, there was the issue with Juggernaut Drive. Going into that mode would overpower Gilgamesh and whatever Noble Phantasms he threw at Issei, including dragon-slaying weapons.

But there was more. An ace that was mightier than Juggernaut Drive. Therefore, a power equal to the concept of a Predator itself. An absolute death machine.

Yes, Issei would need his ultimate power if he was going to confront that.

Here he prostrated himself before his summoner. The plum-haired girl looked at him quizzically. She had been told of every event thus far, especially with the appearance of Gilgamesh, and had been struck with worry for her affectionate one. She did not understand why he was bowing to her in apology. He promised to bring him back even at the cost of his own life. She could never ask this of him nor could she blame him. He had done more than what their contract had demanded.

"Sakura-chan!" he said again. "Please understand. No, it's okay if you don't. It's okay if you'll hate me. But, please! Let me grope your breasts!"

*Scene*

"Vorpal!" he shouted and swung the black blade around.

Another wave of Noble Phantasms were destroyed. They did not shatter into fragments of prana. They simply ceased to exist as Vorpal erased them. His blade was made with the sole purpose of erasing all those that were never meant to have exist. Things Gaia saw as errors. While Noble Phantasms were true, these conjured things through the Grail War were fake. They needed tremendous sources of prana to be used if they were to defy Gaia.

Gilgamesh seemed to have an endless amount of them. Therefore, he had an enormous supply of energy if he could just launch them in blinding amounts. The sky was blocked out by streaks of metal as Issei flew around, shattering blades with each swipe in his Juggernaut Drive. He opened his mouth— a cannon protruded out of the slot— and fired a barrage of crimson volleys of crimson energy.

The sky shook as Noble Phantasms exploded against the barrage. But it only delayed the next wave. Gilgamesh remained standing, unmoving, unflinching, and unleashed the next wave of his endless weapons.

Issei roared and brought his multiple arms around to swipe at the weapons coming at him. Blasts of draconian energy surged in every direction, blasting the pieces of metal into nothingness. Vorpal was a black streak in a world of color. A smear of graffiti within a world of art.

Issei was winning. His power was equal to that of Heaven. So long as the entire cosmos continued to spin, Issei would remain standing. He was faster than the blades coming at him, could swat them away no matter how powerful they were, and was inching closer to Gilgamesh as the battle drew out.

The golden Servant knew this. The amused look had long been swept off his face. But he did not sneer in disgust. He fully acknowledged Issei as a beast worthy of his full potential.

It was the only weapon he personally pulled out with his hands. A blade that was no blade. A black and red hunk of rock that should not have been. Issei's link to the World made his head scream in pain by the mere presence of it.

He was being called into action as a Predator, as a defender of the planet, by the mere presence of that blade. Now, for sure, he could not hold back.

Gilgamesh's black blade began to spin. Three slots spun in different directions around the spin, creating a vortex of void. No energy sprouted from its tip. It drank in all, devouring existence itself. It was a weapon of obliteration.

Issei met it head on, turning the key and opening the cage within himself. He was thankful to the Chichigami Sakura could still be applied as a Switch Princess… though the Outside god wasn't very happy about it. She understood the circumstances anyways. His body, his Sacred Gear, and his Quantum Identity Cortex were now one.

**I am, Creation.**

**I am, the Nova.**

His armor exploded into crimson dust. As did his corporeal form. Nothing remained of Hyoudou Issei except the red mist that was once his form. But, through invisible strings, each speck of dust began to knit together into a pattern. They shaped words, written texts within the air, but not of any language conceivable.

Because they were not words. They were a Law. An expression of a Primordial being.

**My Dream, it shall forever grow.**

**My Nothing, it shall forever stretch.**

A body was beginning to form. A humanoid figure made out of these red scribbles. New skin was forming. New armor was forging. New power was awakening.

**I am, Endless.**

**I am… [Potential]!**

"…I acknowledge you, Hyoudou Issei!" shouted Gilgamesh with pride and respect. With the eyes of one who acknowledged another as an equal in this lonely world. "You are a Dra'cueri! Show me your greatest! And I shall deliver mine!"

Issei lifted his hand with each finger outstretched, as if trying to reach for the golden Servant. A sun began to appear in his grip. A glowing star of cosmic energy, of life itself, of _creation. _It turned red, grew hotter than what should have been physically permitted within the World, and continued to grow in power.

**"Enuma Elish!" **Gilgamesh roared and brought his weapon around.

There was no name for Issei's attack. This was only the third time he had to use this attack and never thought of giving it a name. It was… the Primordial Law of Potential, expressed through his predecessor Ddraig, weaponized to overpower everything through its endless growth. No matter how powerful an opposition may be, this Law expressed it will always overcome it.

It was the Nova that started the universe. Granted, of a much more scaled down model so to not obliterate everything in existence. Just as Gilgamesh's weapon was reeled in to slay Issei and Issei only, the dragon had done the same to strike down Gilgamesh and he alone.

Issei released this bundle of energy belonging to the highest of dragon kind.

The World shook when these two forces clashed. Both hosts were swept up in the aftermath.

In the end, Ryoudouji was wiped clean.

*Scene*

They all watched that cataclysmic finale against the two most powerful beings. Shirou's hero, the famed Red Blur, was challenging an unreal Servant, King Gilgamesh of Uruk, all in the name of saving them all. The blast of their ultimate strikes did not shake the air or the ground. There was a blinding light and nothing more.

The Red Blur came crashing over their heads like a falling star. His crimson form struck against the sea of trees, fumbled messily down the steps, and came to a halt at the bottom. His form was broken. His armor was gone. All that remained was a bloodied body.

"R-Rider!" shrieked Sakura, his Master.

Shirou gritted his teeth. He felt so weak, so powerless. He was the one at fault here. His hero had always come to his rescue and he could do nothing to support him. The Red Blur was fighting with his life on the line in order for them to escape. They couldn't run and chose instead to watch. Shirou had faith his hero would win. He hadn't expected him to lose and didn't know what to do now that he did.

"Good. You're still here," came the suave voice of the previous Archer.

She stepped out of the untouched gates and began to climb down the steps. Her grace was perfect. She was unharmed. The weapon in her hand hurt his mind. He tried to Analyze it but found it _couldn't. _It was made of something foreign to Gaia's domain. Something alien. Something that should have been found on this planet.

"I never enjoyed the hunt," the gender-swapped Servant continued. Murder leaking out of her sweet tone. "Chasing game was tiresome."

They were all going to die. Saber raised her weapon and stood in front of him.

The act he could respect her for. But it was the final straw. He will not be helpless any longer.

"Everyone… I'm sorry," he said with a heavy tone. What he was about to do would have been unforgivable. And if they lived through this, he would accept any punishment they would lash out on him.

The first person he turned towards was Rin. Her eyes flashed between Gilgamesh and Shirou. She didn't know what he was talking about and would have chastised him hadn't her attention be locked with the golden Servant. It was the most opportune moment for him to move.

With a pain-stricken face of burden, he grabbed her left breast and fondled it.

"THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING EMIYA?!" she shrieked and, despite their situation, punched him across the jaw.

But he took it. He didn't answer her as he quickly recovered and moved towards his next target: Luvia.

The girl gasped, still caught unprepared despite Rin's attention-grabbing shrill. He grabbed both her large breasts and massaged them as he would fiddle with motor parts.

She slapped him. Of course she would. "THIS ISN'T THE TIME FOR THAT!"

For a moment, his eyes locked on Gilgamesh. The blonde Servant was watching him with curiosity and amusement. Perhaps he thought the boy was going crazy or getting his last rights before a swift death. He was granting him time, not understanding in the slightest what the boy was trying to achieve.

Inwardly, he was feeling something stir within. A connection to _that _world. The world Archer had shown him.

Sakura was next, who had watched him from the very beginning. Her face was red and full of excitement. He didn't understand why nor had the time to comprehend it. He apologized to her and brought his hand up to her breast. He didn't expect her to lift her own shirt for him to grab them bare. He also didn't expect her to hold his hand in place and refuse him release.

He went along with it regardless. She was most accepting of his attempt. Perhaps because she was the Master of Rider she understood what he was trying to achieve?

She moaned at his touch. A soft voice that deepened the connection to his inner world.

Down below, the broken body of the Rider twitched. Broken bones snapped together as scorched flesh began to peel off with new skin appearing.

"W-W-W-W-W-W-Wait!" Caster said within her little box. He was forever grateful for her involvement in his rescue, especially when she arrived still confined in the cardboard containment. But he needed her now more than ever. She shied away and used her magic to slide down the steps.

He caught her and pulled her box back up the steps. She tried to escape him. Some great impossible strength was giving him the power to defy her magic. Perhaps this was the power of the breasts that Issei always talked about. He didn't know. He didn't have the time to analyze it.

Caster tried to jump and make a break for it. He lunged for her. Both his hands wrapped around her body and cupped her assets.

She cried. But instead about being a proper bride, she cried for him to take responsibility.

"W-W-W-W-W-W-Well i-i-if Onii-chan is d-d-d-doing it, t-t-then I…" muttered Illya through a heavily blushing face. She looked scared. Terrified even. But she looked dutiful as she approached her adoptive brother and began to unbutton her coat.

"No, it's okay Illya-chan," he said and patted her head. "This is more than enough."

Her mouth dropped open, her face frozen with eyes lifeless. He paid it no mind as he went back to the group. The girls glared at him, except Sakura, who looked like she was ready to faint with bliss, and ignored them so to stand beside Saber.

The petite knight inched away from him, eyes watching him critically.

"Have you your fill at last?" questioned Gilgamesh through an amused voice.

Shirou gave him a smirk. He could feel it now. The power Issei was always talking about. The power his future self had shown him. He would never be able to defeat Gilgamesh, but he could at least give the bastard a run for his money.

"Yes," he said through a triumphant tone.

The smile dropped on Gilgamesh. His eyes narrowed.

**"My sword is a boner."**

"No! Not this power!" the golden Servant then shrieked in fear. He recognized it for what it was at the first incantation? Golden portals opened at his back with Noble Phantasms launching at Shirou at blinding speeds.

An ethereal maiden appeared, raising a hand between the group and Gilgamesh. A great shield materialized in front of her. It formed into the shape of a flower with seven petals, with seven barriers erect at the front. The first barrier easily stopped the blades from reaching him.

**"It is as hard as Steel, and shoots like Fire."**

More Noble Phantasms were launched, in alarming quantities. Weapons more than enough to arm a small army were aimed at one lone boy. The shield held firm, but was quickly losing its layers. Barriers each as strong as a fortress were crumbling away and quickly dissipating. The shield maiden was rendered to her knees as she struggled to hold her defense.

Another maiden joined her, her features more definite and corporeal. They could make out a dress and her shapely body. But her skin was nothing but energy. She raised a hand and another great shield was built in support of the other. This one was considerably weaker, but held a thousand barriers instead of the formidable seven. It will outlast the previous only through numbers instead of density. But it will provide its use.

**"A thousand blades don't match up to it.**

** "It never loses. But it gains nothing."**

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Gilgamesh roared and flung more Noble Phantasms at the boy. He was thrown into such a fit of desperation he had forgotten about the ultimate weapon in his hands. A weapon he had so rarely used he had never mastered it. His only mastery of anything was to launch his armory at his opponents until they were rendered ground meat. In such his primal state of fear, he could only resort to his most base of tactics.

To keep shooting until the enemy crumbled.

A third maiden appeared. She bore flesh and bone, her dress more detailed, her armor shimmering. But she was transparent, almost like a ghost. Her shield, however, stopped every Noble Phantasm completely. It was a shield fit for the gods alone, crafted by the goddess Athena and then given to Perseus. It reflected all manner of mysteries, only deluded by the laws of the mortal realm and in the hands of an incompetent magus like Perseus. But this was its true form, forged of divine law, and blocked all legendary weapons in its tracks.

**"It's withstood torment of a thousand.**

** "Always seeking that one."**

The air shimmered once more. Not from Gilgamesh's attacks. But from the surge of power coming from Shirou. He was using no prana in his magic. Nor was it an act of a True Magic. It was something completely different. Something revolutionary and not seen on this planet. Gaia could not recognize it, but nor could she condemn it.

It was the work of an Outsider. One not existing within this universe, let alone the omniverse. The great Chichigami had blessed this boy with her divine Authorities.

**"I have no regrets!"**

He shouted with pride, with determination that hadn't been there before. The War had changed him. He had thought if he tried hard enough he could be a hero like Kiritsugu or the Red Blur. Nothing could have been further from the truth. He was furthest away from being anything like his role models. But now he was different. He found what he was lacking. He had the power to be a hero.

**"This is the only path!"**

For breasts. He will become not the Hero of Justice. But the Hero of Breasts.

He finally understood what it meant to be a hero. The tears Sakura had shed him. The lashings Rin had given him. The arguments he had gotten with Saber. Even the looks of pity from Illya. He understood what they all meant now.

And he will protect their breasts to his last dying breath.

**"My whole life shall always be…"**

"Damn you, you filthy FAKER!" shrieked Gilgamesh at the top of his lungs.

**"Unlimited Breast Works!"**

Gilgamesh bellowed in outrage and defiance as the two were swept away into a new world. The maidens Shirou had conjured either vanished or were taken with their summoner. Either way, nothing remained of the two and only the group of girls were left.

"…The hell just happened?" Rin asked when things began to grow eerily quiet.

"My sword is a… _boner_?" questioned Luvia with a scandalized voice.

Saber was rubbing her temples. Her Master had been corrupted by that damnable Rider.

*Scene*

This was his inner world. This was his own reality.

His future self had told him it was a Reality Marble. But a Reality Marble was an expression of one's soul being forced upon Gaia's domain. This was not a Reality Marble then.

It was a beautiful garden with a clear blue sky, nothing like that barren wasteland with the smoggy sky and clockwork clouds. It was empty, but it was not lonely. He could have company at his side whenever he so demanded.

He wasn't sure what this was. He was not burning Od trying to keep it alive. It could last indefinitely so long as he willed it. And he could close it with a simple thought.

This was his garden, given to him by the Chichigami for accepting her love and her truth.

"Don't think with this you've won," fear was obvious in Gilgamesh's tone. He, she, whoever _it _claimed to be, gripped the hilt of his alien weapon tightly.

In this world, where Gaia's rules no longer applied, where Outside Laws ruled, he could sympathize with the weapon. Never understand it nor figure out it functioned or what materials was used in its forging. That was beyond him and he accepted it. But here, in this world, there was something else he could take from the weapon.

Shirou turned towards Gilgamesh and gave him a challenging look. No more would he run. No more would he be a weakling. Here, he was _king._

"You're only interested in watching the world burn," he quoted what the Servant had told him during his captivity. "I need to win. There's nothing more to it."

There was no sign or gesture, but he had a command in his head. The world he created obeyed before the thought was done.

Girls of every shape and size appeared. Beautiful virginal maidens, fully bloomed, and still budding appeared out of the very air. They wore armors and dresses of every civilization of every era. They bore the weapons of their great predecessors their legends came from.

A scarlet woman was wielding Gae Bolg.

A bluenette was hefting Mjornir.

A nubile girl raised Clarent.

A buxom maiden ran her fingers across Hrunting.

The field was covered with these wondrous women. But no matter how hard he tried, he could never make out their faces. Their identities were the weapons they bore. It was the weapons he had called upon and the maidens were merely expressions of each Noble Phantasm. It was their love he was conjuring and giving physical form.

With another thought, they launched off the ground and shot towards Gilgamesh.

The Servant of the Bow unleashed his barrage of Noble Phantasms. He still had access to his Gates of Babylon despite being in an entirely different dimension. Many artefacts were swiped away, meeting their counterparts and mirror images. Many of Shirou's maidens were struck down.

But as they were defeated, they were called back to his side to rejoin the battle. While Gilgamesh had his weapons destroyed and irreplaceable, Shirou could call upon his maidens once more endlessly.

A weapon may break. It may be ground to dust with time. But the love and its legend will never die so long as there was at least one person willing to remember them. And that was Shirou's wish.

He will never forget this endless bounty of jiggling marshmallows.

"Damn you EMIYA SHIROU!" shouted Gilgamesh as he brought his arm around. He, at last, remembered his greatest Noble Phantasms. The unworldly weapon began to spin as its Anti-Law affinity charged.

His eyes widened as a single unit made its way through the barrage. Maidens dove in front of its path to protect it. To shield it against his Noble Phantasms and to make sure she made her way through to him. He was shocked because it was impossible. This… _Faker _had done the impossible.

She had green hair, a face so beautiful it was neither feminine nor masculine. She wore a single white dress that went towards her knees. She wore nothing else, not even footwear.

She looked so much like his beloved Enkidu. No, he could swear it was his dear blood-brother.

The replica of the weapon in the False Enkidu stabbed through his chest before he knew it. A False Ea drilled through his heart. The real weapon fell out of his grip.

"I'm sorry, brother," the False Enkidu said in a low voice of grief. "But you aren't the one I once loved. You've changed."

It was only in his last moments did he realize that it was, indeed, his actual brother.

Emiya Shirou had brought back the soul of the only one he called his other self.

Gilgamesh fell to the floor, bleeding his last.

*Scene*

"Looks like you didn't need my help after all," Issei said while rubbing the back of his head. He winced in pain. Miraculously, the Rider was back on his feet, though there were still many wounds covering his body. He had gotten back up to support Shirou and fight against Gilgamesh once more.

Shirou shook his head, "I couldn't have done this without you. Thank you, Issei. I finally understand what it means to be a hero."

They bumped fist. A brotherhood was formed on this day.

By a great love of breasts.

"Well, my job's done," Issei sighed as he stretched his body. "The Big Bad is dead and the War can't continue on any further. Oh, I called some people. The Grail is going to be destroyed. It's an executive order courtesy of your Demon Lord. I'm also giving you guys recommendations for the Clock Tower, if you want them anyways."

Rin was excited about that. Luvia said something about not needing them but accepted the generosity anyways.

They parted ways after a while. Saber bowed her head in gratitude for his services but did nothing further. She still hated his guts. He and Shirou shared some last minute things and promised to visit another whenever they could. Fuyuki wasn't too far away from Kuoh. Besides, Issei could fly whenever he wanted.

It was just he and Sakura now. They walked together in silence until they reached the Matou manor.

"I guess our pact is done now, Master," Issei called her by her title for the first time as a jest. She took it lightly and offered a kind smile. His heart fluttered by her smile. He remembered how she couldn't smile no matter what he tried. It made him feel proud to see her like this now. "So if I can just have you sign the contract… I'll be on my way."

It was a hectic week. But one he will never forget. He will never forget these people. He had changed them, surely, and they had changed him just as well. He was more experienced with the world and understood people a little bit better.

"Of course… Ise-kun," she exchanged her own part of the jest. "If you come inside… we can take care of the final exchange."

She turned and lead him back inside the mansion. But he didn't follow.

"A-Actually… Sakura-chan," his voice became mellow. He shook his head as he scratched the top of his head in distress. "I… I can't accept the payment. It's not right."

"But… it's what we agreed to."

He shook his head again. "It would be a crime to oppai everywhere." He argued, but it wouldn't make sense to her. Still, she listened. "I can hear it now. Your oppai, they're happy. They don't cry anymore. And I also know that you're in love with Shirou."

She blushed, but didn't deny his words.

He finished, "Your oppai are not mine to fondle. Your oppai belong to Emiya Shirou. It would be wrong for a man to take another one's oppai."

Her respect for him deepened. Her smile was soft, "Thank you, Ise-kun. For everything."

He nodded, sniffed, and tried to hide the tears in his eyes. "R-Right. Well, if you can please sign this then I'll be on my way."

He handed her a scrap of paper that appeared with his magic. She couldn't read what was written on it as it belonged to his Devil's language. But she believed in him and knew he would never do anything mistrustful like taking her soul without her knowledge. She signed it and handed it back to him.

They shook hands, neither willing to be the first to let go.

"Visit us when you can," she said softly, almost longing for him to stay. He was a dear friend, if a little odd and ruled by nothing but his hormones. But he was loyal. He risked his life not for his job as a Devil. He risked his life and did all he could in the name of her love for Shirou. He complained, but he went along with it.

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

He blushed and looked away. "Y-Yeah. I'll be around. Take care Sakura-chan. Don't let those girls push you around. Make sure Shirou knows who the main love interest is!"

She giggled at his wording and waved goodbye.

A circle appeared at his feet. It glowed brightly over the rising sun. Their eyes never looked away even as he disappeared.


	17. Maelstorm

**Special thanks to my beta, Third Fang, for knocking me silly into next week. He really helped me out a lot with some small advice. But goddamn does my head still hurt. Bro, why'd you have to use an iron rod? Who does that?!**

**Also a special shout-out to the bros who linger in the Traveler Roost forums. You know who you are. I appreciate your conversations and your insight to this hectic world of mine.**

**Lastly, posts will be less frequent. At least once a month. Working on original works finally so EtD will be the only fanfiction I'll be working on in-between.**

**Without further ado, on with the show!**

* * *

There wasn't a single speck of light as he walked down the rotten stairs. Each plank threatened to crumble with each step as they groaned under his weight. But after some application of his Aura he found they had been magically reinforced to withstand a God-be-damned elephant. Why the Fallen would need such support was beyond him; years of paranoia ruled him to come up with a series of theories anyways.

As most of the action was happening upstairs, there was no one around in the lower levels. Other than the occasional Fallen who could easily be mesmerized by one look from his Aura empowered vision, he walked leisurely towards his destination. He didn't need to ask for directions as a pulse of Aura transmitted the whole schematics of the building into his mind as well as every individual residing within. The darkness also meant nothing as his Acolyte eyes allowed him to see through the blackness equally, or possibly better, than any creature of the night.

He did not so much as find the dungeon as he approached it with familiarity. Not just because the sonar reading had told him where it was but mostly because he had lost track of how many villains had kept their prisoners in the same _freaking _area of their stronghold. Seriously, would it kill someone to think outside the box and keep prisoners somewhere other than the cellar?!

His thoughts made the door explode with an Aura empowered kick. He hadn't meant to do that. It had been a while since he'd felt emotions not consumed by stagnating levels of fear.

"Who's there?" came the voice of his target.

She couldn't see him in the darkness. Xenovia was forced to stand by the manacles on her wrists being lifted above her head. The way her body slouched and legs shook indicated she had been like this for a long period of time, more than likely since she's been captured. There were also signs of physical and spiritual deterioration. Her jailers hadn't bothered to give her sustenance.

There was also a maddening glint in her eyes. A glint that came after the stage of hopelessness. She would have taken her own life hadn't she been bound and thus had been forced to live with herself. Whatever trauma she went through made her like a rabid animal. She was driven by her base needs to survive.

"Quiet," he commanded as he approached her. Her head snapped in his general direction as he cut off the flow of Aura from his feet to allow the sound to clack against the ground. "I'm getting you out of here. Do you understand that much?"

Her eyes flashed. Good, she understood. But then, those eyes narrowed and snapped towards her far left.

Where the husk that was once Yuuto Kiba slouched on the floor.

"Him," she urged. "Take him instead."

Rolan's scowl shifted. He didn't need to invade her mind to be able to understand how their imprisonment had bonded the two as blood-siblings. A number of memories forced their way through, but he willed them down. Those people were dead. There would be no need to think about them, especially right now.

"I'm getting you out of here, Gradwitz," he retorted dryly. She gritted her teeth in response, understanding the reference. What a clever girl she was to know about an underappreciated piece of American literature. But then again, she wasn't American. She was _cultured._

"You cannot leave him!" she shouted with a bit of fire that hadn't been there before. She took two wobbly steps forward until her arms kept her in place, threatening to tear out of her sockets. Her face was inches in front of his. Now she could make out vague outlines of his features as their eyes met.

"If he stays here, he will die," she hissed further.

"He's dead regardless," he muttered dispassionately as he gestured a hand towards her. Her manacles shattered. The lack of bindings made her stumble forward and her lack of strength had her at his mercy. He caught her but gracelessly hefted her over his shoulder as though she were a sack. "But that's not my problem. If it'll make you feel better, I suppose, then someone will be coming for him. Whether he makes it out of here will be up to his rescuer. Isn't that right, Gremory?"

His eyes moved towards the corner of the room right beside the entrance. Even his vision had difficulty detecting her presence. It was a sheet of darkness hidden within the natural darkness of the room in nearly perfect camouflage. His constant fluctuations of Aura had skipped right over her without any of the waves coming back to inform him. However, he had been able to detect her because Gremory was furthest from stealthy. She made noise whenever she moved, from the clatter of her heels on the floor to the creaking of the wooden stairs he traversed and to the fluttering of her fabrics.

His eyes narrowed. She was wearing an Anti-Acolyte cloak. One he had made personally. One he had given to Serafall on the chance _that _happened again.

He had suspicions, of course. Serafall had been determined to hire him to retrieve Xenovia. She should have known he would not have done anything for Kiba in any shape or form. She should have also known having Gremory follow him would have been the same if the red-haired Devil had infiltrated the base on her own. There had been an alternative, of course. She could have bargained the Evil Pieces as she had just done to have him point in the right direction. Hyoudou and Serene were more than enough to fulfill this mission but Serafall wanted Rolan _personally._

Simply, Serafall had _hoped _Rolan would have to fight. Be it for Gremory's sake or for his own. If he had to defend himself then he would have to use his Flame and Frost as his mundane methods were beyond capable of reaching the likes of Fallen. It would mean Gremory would have the chance to see how his abilities worked and to observe his methods of battle.

Sera would do anything for her sister. Even to use others as tools.

"To fool your enemy you must first fool your friends," Rolan muttered in agitation as he recalled the small gathering back in the school clubroom. They more than likely hadn't told Hyoudou of their intentions. Gremory had planned on going no matter what and Serafall had probably given her the cloak as an assurance.

Xenovia had stopped squirming in his grip at least.

Rias Gremory openly glared at Rolan as she drew back her hood. She intended to step forward as soon as Rolan had left. But with her presence detected, she forbade her attempts of stealth and approached her Knight in haste.

"Kiba…" she brought her hands to her Knight's face and tried to lift his head. The blonde Devil's eyes shifted towards her but no emotion could be read. Only the shifting of his pupils indicated he acknowledged her but could not react any further.

Rias gritted her teeth in anger at what had happened to her servant. "Just you wait. I'm going to get you out of here and—"

"Do you even have a plan, girl?" Rolan found himself questioning her. "There is a nest of Fallen who might not know you're down here but will as soon as you free him. There are wards binding him in place and an alarm will trigger once you break them. The Fallen not busy with Serene will swarm here. Do you have a means to defend yourself while protecting your Knight?"

She gave him a noteworthy grin, one that exuded confidence. "I won't be asking you for help, if that's what you're wondering. My peerage is also here to give support should the need arrive—"

"I didn't realize you were _this _fucking stupid," he bit off with venom. His eyes glowed as he struggled to keep his rage from exploding. "You had a better chance of getting out of here had it been just you. But you dragged your slaves into this mess as well? A large party gathers attention, especially when they are undisciplined children, girl. Your enemy is your antithesis, beings still blessed with the powers of light who have lived centuries and still hold the experience of war. You don't think you can really get out of here by _fighting _them, do you?"

He shouldn't be too upset with her. It had been a while since he was able to delve on these emotions and had almost forgotten what they felt like when not empowered through fear. He respected Gremory for her compassion. _Good Kings fight with their men, but Great Kings lead from the front. _Rias Gremory wasn't quite there in being a great king, but she was far more realistic than the lunatics who led an entire battalion on the first charge. She knew her opponents were beyond her and had sent Hyoudou and Serene instead to _lead the charge. _While she and her peerage snuck around unseen to succeed in the mission.

It would have been something he would have done back in the War.

"I have faith," was her only answer. She did not look at him any further as she went to work on destroying Kiba's manacles.

_I have faith. _He respected her for those words but condemned her nonetheless. Having faith is necessary, but it can also be just as foolish as it was charismatic.

He turned his back to her… and waited. He couldn't break his promise to Sona no matter what. But there were… loopholes to the system. Rias Gremory could still follow him in his shadow and he might blast a Fallen or two simply out of impulse. It wouldn't be a lie. It didn't have to be.

"The Evensong…" he heard Xenovia whisper over his shoulder. "Is it… true?"

He didn't answer. He didn't want to.

There was the faintest sound behind him. He could have easily missed it hadn't he been too damn familiar with it. The memories still haunted him as his comrades from the War had died by this method. His body had taught itself to recognize the signs. But it was too late.

He turned around and flared his Aura. Two fingers were pointed.

His brows narrowed as he sneered.

Rias Gremory was still on her knees, but her body had been turned to face him. A hand covered her mouth to stop her from screaming. Her Power of Destruction surged in desperation to dissolve her assaulter but it did nothing against his black armor. She struggled with her hands trying to retch herself free but her demonic strength was being drank by what was killing her. And there, right between her ribs, was the dagger piercing her flesh as deep as the hilt.

Fifth Predator, Artemis James Philips, drew it out slowly but not before twisting the blade. The NERGAL blade was cleaned off her blouse and tucked back inside its holster all in a single mechanical stroke. He let go of her; Rias Gremroy fell to her elbows and put one hand on her bleeding wound. She was gasping in both shock and fear. But the blood was flowing too fast.

"Artemis…" Rolan sneered as his Aura flared another level. The air was becoming dense with his presence. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

The Fifth said nothing behind his domed helmet. His head tilted down towards Gremory but nothing else could be read about him. It was almost as if he was watching her bleed to death.

Artemis had the chance to kill her just as easily. His hand had been to her mouth; he could have pulled her head back and drew the dagger across her throat. The NERGAL blade drank into all the properties of the supernatural and rendered their inhuman features useless. A vampire could not regenerate, a mage could not heal, and a spirit couldn't escape its vessel. A Devil, in this case, would have their demonic energies drained.

He could have killed her. But he didn't. So… why?

The helm lifted, this time towards Rolan. Again, nothing was said. Slowly, with cautious yet predatory steps, Philips moved away from Gremory's dying body.

…As though giving Rolan room.

"Fuck!" he couldn't help but curse. His teeth were grinding while he kept his pointed fingers locked on Philips. It wouldn't change anything if he pulled the mental trigger and scorched Philips to ash. He would have another Twilight Blade somewhere to transfer to and Gremory would still be dying.

On the floor, a magic circle was glowing faintly on her palm. But the healing spell wouldn't make contact with the wound. Her eyes were wide with fear and panic. She knew if something wouldn't happen quickly she would die.

Her eyes met his. She was pleading with him. Not to save her, but pleading for him to take Kiba when she couldn't. Even if it meant abandoning her.

"FUCK!" he shouted and curled both his hands into a fist. Tongues of fire sprouted around him from his frustrations. The floor at his feet was glazed with a small layer of frost. He did nothing as he thought of his options in rapid succession.

The Evil Piece system was as fickle and unbending as the nuisances the laws of Heaven enforced. They contradicted with another and yet balanced each other. Some rules were forgiving while the others were ruthless in punishment.

Issei Hyoudou was the prime example. The Evil Piece system had given him the chance to come back to life after his folly against a small ambush by the Fallen. However, the Evil Pieces themselves needed a power source in order to keep himself alive. A mystical one, at that. Normally, the Evil Pieces would drink from the extra reserves of life force that wouldn't endanger the vessel. This included ki, chakra, magic, Aura and Spirit, and so on.

But Hyoudou was a dragon. He had no such excessive power. A dragon's power came from their physical attributes. He may be able to conjure a sphere of destruction which most would assume to be of mystical origin, but the process is just the same as any dragon breathing fire, ice, lightning, or poison. Their bodies naturally produce it. And as the living incarnation of the Welsh Heavenly Dragon, it was from Hyoudou's innate biological production did his powers show up.

In short, he had nothing _mystical _about him. He had no demonic powers to spare. He didn't even have enough to keep himself alive with the Evil Pieces.

And that was where Rias Gremory came into the picture. She, his King, was carrying what weight Hyoudou couldn't support. She was continuously sending a flow of demonic energy from her King Piece into his Pawns in order to keep them powered. And if something were to happen to her, if that power source were to be cut off, then the Pawns would die out.

And so would the Dragoon Predator.

"FUUUUUUUUUCK!" Rolan roared again as he knew all of this.

He knew why Philips didn't kill Rias. He _wanted _Rolan to intervene. He no doubt had Dusk Blades placed everywhere in the cathedral to make sure it would be Rolan who would fix her.

If Gremory died, so will Hyoudou. If Hyoudou died, they will be short one Predator. With the Evensong coming closer, this was not a loss they could accept.

But if he saved Gremory, it would mean he would have to break his promise to Sona. He would have to _lie._

The cost to that would be grievous to him alone. In the end, he had to think; what was more important— the death of one person or the eradication of the World?

He ended up screaming, unleashing the dam of Aura from his body. He made his decision.

*Scene*

Within the span of a few seconds, they were over the Sea of Japan and far out of reach of civilization. Vali had been considerate enough. He had studied the tendencies of his rival thoroughly enough to think of how he would react. He wanted this battle without any distractions. There would be no landmark destruction while his rival would run around saving people instead of worrying about the fight. Vali didn't want that. He wanted to fight his rival at his full potential to the very end.

That is… _if _his rival could still be called a hero.

It was when they were far enough did Vali break speed and toss the Red Dragon Emperor off. His rival flew, flipped around uncontrollably through the air, but then those immaculate wings of his blazed off his back and all momentum stopped. Vali always marveled at them. The sudden stop should have given him a concussion but Issei showed no signs of harm.

The damage from the initial attack had all but vanished as well. His ribs should have at the very least cracked. However, he seemed to be breathing fine.

[Don't take him too lightly, Vali,] muttered Albion from within the Divine Dividing. There was a feral growl coming from the dragon spirit. [Those wings… So that is how he was able to elude us for so long. Ddraig has never given his hosts such a chance to gain them. My rival is much too proud to bow his head…]

Vali didn't fully understand Albion's warning. And there was no indication the dragon was going to elaborate further. He put the words to the back of his mind but didn't dismiss them. Only a fool would ignore the advice of an ancient being.

"You've no idea how much I've anticipated for this day," Vali began with a smile behind his helm. "I've looked everywhere for you, Red Dragon Emperor."

His rival's eyes were sharp. He took immediate notice on how they were green and serpentine— so very much like the dragons Vali had challenged over the years. They were full of power as they glowed as brightly as they would behind the green visor of his red helm. Vali wondered what sort of training he had to go through to be like that. After all, Vali couldn't.

"You couldn't wait a little bit longer?" Issei snarled. Another notice Vali took— his rival had fangs. Interesting. "We've been at this for three years and you choose now of all times? I really don't have time for you right now. If you get out of my way now, I promise to fight you. Right now my friend is—"

"Yes, I know all about Yuuto Kiba," Vali interjected. "I know all about you. Everyone does after your stunt in the Rating Game. You are Issei Hyoudou, Pawn of Rias Gremory… and Eighth Predator, the Dragoon."

His rival's face was a blank as he just stared at Vali.

Vali had watched that match against Raizer Phenex. His attention to the other combatants was shallow and only focused long enough when they had something directly connected to his rival. He took note of everything his rival had done. The young man was brilliant for his age in both mind and body. He had been able to strategize around his enemy for his comrades to win without him; and he could have won the entire match on his own. The morbidly crushed Raizer Phenex with the minimalist of effort.

But the Rating Game had been shut down before it could be concluded. Vali didn't need to watch the last thirty seconds to know his rival had been victorious. But he wanted to know what had happened to the feed and why it had been cut off. Word had eventually gotten around in the Underworld. His rival had brought the reality of the Rating Game arena to crumble apart. And he had announced himself as Eighth Predator.

Azazel had told Vali not to pursue his rival from then on. He told them about the Predators, what their purpose was and what gave them the right to be called such. Azazel had told him this to warn Vali, but the White Dragon Emperor had taken it in a completely different direction.

A Predator was the world's greatest fighting force. Azazel had said they were the things Vali should be most afraid of. But, in truth, all Vali heard was…

_Beings worthy of a challenge._

More than ever he wanted to meet his rival. But Azazel had forbade it, going so far as to keep him confided within the Grigori Institute. Vali had his ways though of sneaking around. Information about his rival was easy to access with the network of the Grigori and the spies on the Devil's side. His actions had gotten the attention of Kokabiel who, one day, approached him with a proposal.

"I thought you were something great," Vali went on. "But as soon as I learned of your name all that greatness gradually washed away. You were the son of a pencil-pusher and a stay-at-home mother. There was nothing special about you; you were born normal and come from a long ancestry of mundanity. Your Sacred Gear didn't surface until your parents were victims of a home burglary. After I learned that, everything began to make sense.

"You were a farce. A coward. A disappointment," Vali said with a sigh. "You becoming a hero was just a means to run away from your problems, wasn't it? You couldn't save your parents so you decided to try something as pointless as saving people. You threw yourself into danger, battling against creatures our predecessors would have had difficulty against, putting yourself in harm's way and sometimes even taking the brunt of it all just to save a few people. It made you stronger, sure, but that was never your intention, was it?

"And then, just all of a sudden, after three years of routine, you suddenly stop," Vali spread his arms out. "Why? Because you became a Devil? Or because you became that girl's servant? Regardless, that crusade of yours just stopped. Just like that. I now know who you are, Issei Hyoudou. You are _weak. _I still thrive for this battle but not for the same reason. I no longer want to see which of us the better Heavenly Dragon Emperor is. I only want to bash your face in to show you don't deserve that power.

"Go and run if you want," Vali prepared himself now. His arms spread again as well as his legs. His wings fluttered. "Go and save your friend. I won't stop you from doing that. But then, what will stop me from killing your master? Will you try to save her, _hero_? Or will you accept your fate and fight me now?"

He couldn't read the expression on his rival. Issei's emotions had washed away as Vali spoke. The fangs were still bared and his eyes still glowed.

"I'm going to beat you now," Issei began in a slow, rather tiresome voice. "I don't know if I'll stop. I have nothing against you, White Chaser, but you couldn't have picked a worse day to piss me off."

Vali almost scoffed at the ludicrous nickname. It was almost an insult but he dismissed it. He readied himself to engage against his rival.

**"Balance… Breaker!"**

There was something immediately wrong. A torrent of _power _flew out of his rival's body like a storm being unleashed from a mythological bag of winds. And his armor— the Scale Mail manifested in the blink of an eye. There was usually the delay as Vali had to synchronize his body to his Sacred Gear in order to awaken his Balance Breaker. And there needed time for the armor to fully form.

Issei's armor didn't need time. It was like a living, breathing entity on its own. Like a secondary skin that only needed a command to be set free. It didn't form, it didn't appear; it simply removed a veil that hadn't been there.

And then, his rival roared.

A shockwave from the sound alone rattled him from within the Vanishing armor. More power filled the air. Suffocating power of a heat unlike any other.

[Vali, move!]

He listened to Albion. His wings glowed as he zipped to the side at the speed of light.

His whole world shook as a fist collided against the side of his helm. At this unreal speed, his rival had been able to match him and land the first blow. Both red and white armors cracked as both draconian metals met.

Vali recovered quickly. He brought his fist around in a feint. His rival swatted away, not fully seeing the intentions of the blow. Vali's other arm swung around during that opening where Issei was still deflecting his attack.

His rival had anticipated it, apparently. The same hand moved swiftly to deflect it with his elbow. His knee came around to strike below Vali's chin. Again, both metals cracked; the helm more so as it had yet to mend itself from the previous blow.

Vali moved, but his rival was faster.

Whereas he had moved at the speed of light, even turning luminous as was required to survive the dematerializing speed, his rival had been _quicker. _It had been impossible. But when Vali moved, his rival had been there to intercept him.

Another fist met against his helm. This time, both gauntlet and helm shattered into motes of light. Their flesh were exposed to the elements. His skin began to burn after being exposed to the Red Dragon Emperor's presence.

Vali's armor began to glow. Albion was already working on repairing the damage and rematerializing the helm. However, halfway through the recovery process, that same fist his rival had used was coming for him again.

The difference: his gauntlet had already been repaired.

Vali caught the fist in his palm. His arm ached as he felt his teeth jar at the impact. His elbow threatened to shatter under the strain and he almost let go from the instant numbing sensation. But he only needed that instant.

[Divide!]

His wings glowed as the ability of the Divine Dividing kicked in. It began to cut his rival's power in half, drinking it in for himself. He felt himself be reinvigorated as the recovery of his armor hastened to near-instantaneous levels. And all the excessive energies were purged out from the tips of his ethereal wings.

Vali brought his off-hand around while still holding on to his rival's fist in the other. Issei caught the fist, almost easily. The strength was unreal as the white armor began to crack under the strain. As expected of someone who could double his potential as much as Vali could half it. Vali's hand felt like it was being put through a compressor.

But it was more than enough.

[Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!]

Again and again, his rival's power was being depleted. Cut in half again and again. Being absorbed into Divine Dividing, being spread throughout all of Vali's body, and then removed of any impurities and any excessive amount from his wings. Quickly, his rival's power was being bled out.

Issei roared again. His power spiked.

[No! That's not possible!]

…And then ascended beyond what it had originally been.

Vali felt like liquid hot iron had been injected into his veins. The Divine Dividing had drank into this power. It had cut it in half and assimilated that power. But even half of that had been beyond what the armor could contain. The white metal shone brightly like a star ready to burst.

His wings, the center that channeled the draining and distribution, were the first to go out. They shattered into a thousand shards akin to a lightbulb being surged with too much electricity. Without his wings, he began to fall.

His rival wouldn't allow that. He held on to Vali, his power still rising beyond measurable quantities. Grabbing on to the breastplate, he brought his knee to the center.

Vali spat blood inside his helm. His armor may as well have been nothing more than a soft pillow. Issei's sabaton didn't crack this time.

It didn't stop there. He brought his fist around once more and brought it squarely across Vali's mask. The metal broke without hesitation as white and black spots invaded his vision. But, he knew from the briefest of glimpses, his rival's gauntlet received no backlashing damage.

It was as though _his _armor had become stronger. Vali couldn't do that.

[Vali! Something isn't right!]

He was sent flying, tumbling through the air as Albion tried to snap him back into reality. His armor was being repaired albeit far slower due to the previous outburst. At the arc, when he began to fall, it was not Albion who brought him out of the bleak darkness. It was the roar his rival had made.

Vali's eyes shot open. His demonic energy coursed through his body, already working the healing spell to repair what damage had been done while his armor was donned once again. His rival was coming for him.

He conjured spheres of magic bullets, all of which were slightly larger than the lead projectiles yet ten times more durable. A single one could pierce through several fortress walls and land a blow to their target hidden deep below. And Vali had conjured dozens of them, nearing a hundred.

He meant for them to only be a delay tactic while he regained his breath. Every bullet flew straight in a wall of hellfire without aim.

His rival spread his arms out, as if challenging the wall to strike him down!

Vali watched as every bullet pierced through his armor and the soft flesh underneath. Issei's body jerked from the impact but he kept upright. The helm shattered; the boy's fanged mouth was open as his throat unleashed another roar. And again, the power spiked.

The armor repaired itself as it was being bombarded from Vali's attack. Dents were still made and red chunks were flying. Blood and meat was splattering everywhere.

And then, the impossible happened.

One bullet _bounced _off.

Then another. And another. And another.

And then, no bullet could render any damage. The wave had only been a quarter done with three-quarters still oncoming.

Issei flexed his arms, readjusting himself after taking such brutal damage— he was healing faster than Vali could! The gesture was the only warning Vali had. Because when next he moved, he was already upon the White Dragon Emperor's breathing space.

He had thought he simply appeared, teleported even, but a row of still-traveling bullets had suddenly changed trajectory. There was a gap in the area between Vali and where Issei had previously been. The Red Dragon Emperor didn't teleport, he had simply traveled beyond a speed measurable. After all, he had been able to surpass Vali and his speed of light.

Issei spun during his flight to bring his leg around like a whip. The heel crashed against his right shoulder, crushing the armor and the bone underneath with utmost ease. Pain flashed through Vali and numbed his entire being. His right arm was useless.

Issei moved again, using the momentum of his kick for a combo. He kept spinning and thrust his elbow forward. His closed fist was in the palm of his other hand, adding double the strike force to the blow. The joint struck at Vali's ribs.

Once again, Vali was sent flying as it felt like his innards had just ruptured. His ribs were all but dust. A lung was punctured. He gagged on blood as his vision blurred. Only his Devil attributes and the healing spell was keeping him alive. Alive, but not operable.

[Dammit Vali, do something!] cried Albion from within. [He's coming again!]

But the most Vali could do was twitch his fingers. It was agony trying to get them to form a fist.

Pain exploded once again as Issei was there again, flying underneath him and keeping speed with him. The Red Dragon Emperor sent his knee into Vali's back, making him arch against his will. Then, two claws grabbed onto the tips of his wings.

Not the armored plating that projected his Divine Dividing. But the _ethereal _energy.

His rival roared once again, increasing his power again and again. Vali screamed from the agony. He didn't know how to describe this feeling. Before had been liquid hot metal coursing through his veins. But it had been just a quick flash before his armor shattered. Now, Issei was directly feeding him a continuous flow of his overwhelming essence. He couldn't cut it off.

[Vali! I can't stop it!]

Paldrons exploded from the pressure. Then his breastplate and greaves. Sabatons and gauntlets next. His helm came after. And at every time, his flesh was exposed to this aura— no, this radiation. It ate away at his flesh nearly as deadly as exposure to the Dimensional Gap. It was crushing his body in every direction like a deep sea pressure.

All the while, Issei continued to force-feed him his energy. The Red Dragon Emperor didn't seem willing to let up anytime soon.

Eventually, he did.

With only the wings left, Issei released him but not before bringing the back of his hand around to the side of Vali's temple. Right where the jewel had been implanted.

The world went dark as Vali lost consciousness after that, still above the Sea of Japan.

*Scene*

The thirteenth Fallen dropped dead when Creyroux pierced her heart and slid out of her side as though her inhuman flesh were as soft as butter. Her skin sizzled as black flames devoured her life essence. Blood splattered across Serene's face. She could have stroke the blade in a way where the blood wouldn't splash on her, but it was a last second choice.

The blood felt warm on her skin. It was a warmth that was soothing. It was the feeling of life caressing her cheek like a loving hand. Not a love for her. A desperate hand. A hand clinging for hope before succumbing to death.

She no longer denied the feeling of excitement for every kill. Years of feeling _only _acceptance had programmed her mind to block out most forms of emotion. But they had still been there— dormant, waiting for them to surface again one day. And in this territory where the World could not reach her, where the concept of acceptance was no longer dominant, those emotions had awoken. Claiming life brought satisfaction to her. It was soothing, therapeutic even. There hadn't been any relief from her revenge against her slavers all those years ago, only disappointing acceptance of their death.

Murdering Fallen was now more of a game to her than a task. But she was still a disciplined woman, having the practice of the faith drilled into her from the early age. She did not give in to these carnal pleasures. She was still the Queen of Issei Hyoudou and would rescue Yuuto Kiba in the absence of her King. That is, of course, if Rias Gremory hadn't already succeeded.

Upon gutting the fourteenth Fallen, three blades of Excalibur impaled her. This would be the ninth time this had happened. A Predator she may be, but she was still as human as the next. She did not have a Hero's blood and soul nor any magic to amplify her features. And the Evil Piece could not fully register with her as it only tainted her enough for her to no longer be a Living Saint. She was human in every shape and form. Her opponents were beyond the means to touch through mundane methods.

And yet, her body continued to move. It tore open the jugular of her fifteenth target. Her body was shredded and yet she still moved. The Excaliburs were still impaled; she pulled away from them and let her innards fall to the floor. Still, she moved. Her sword arm was hacked off. Creyroux continued to fly around as though her hand still guided it.

The more she fought, the more wrong inflicted upon her vessel, the darker Creyroux became. It devoured every sin inflicted upon her. The darkness of the blade was now potent enough to suppress the radiation from the several Excaliburs. And with each Fallen slain did the collective force of the Excaliburs dwindle in the slightest. With fifteen lost, the radiance was noticeably dimmer.

Twenty Excaliburs were thrown this time upon Kokabiel's command. She dodged a few but could not overcome the overwhelming numbers. Her body was pierced and hacked into chunks. Limbs were severed and organs ruptured. One sword had managed to cleave out the side of her head, exposing the gray matter of her brain and for her eye to dangle.

Still, she moved.

Creyroux clashed against another Excalibur. Crimson and black met cobalt and gold. Sparks of demonic and holy tongues lit up the dark cathedral. The six-winged Fallen sneered and used his superior strength to shove her blade away.

"Just die already!" he hissed and brought his weapon down to splice her from her cranium and out of her groin. It was a perfect stroke that split her symmetrically in half.

Still, she moved.

Creyroux stabbed through his open mouth, twisted, and was retched out in quick succession. His blood splashed once more across her face.

Her perfect, flawless, healthy face. It was as though all of their efforts had done nothing. It was as though they were swinging away at mist; a constantly changing mass that would reshape no matter what they may attempt.

She realized she had lost count on what number this Fallen had been. Oh well. There were still plenty more left.

"How can this be?" snarled Kokabiel. He hadn't fought. He stayed in the back like the coward that he was. Serene had heard stories about him from Michael. Kokabiel was a tactician who used his wisdom of the stars to foresee the future. His divinations were fearfully accurate against his enemies. He was the sort to come to the front of the lines only when he knew victory would be achieved assuredly.

With him hiding in the back meant nothing was going according to his plan.

"These are Excaliburs!" he shouted in outrage.

She stood there with Creyroux lowered but still at the ready. She openly stared at him as though he were a pouting child. She was patient, but annoyed all the same. His little ranting moment was keeping her from taking the life of her next prey.

"The Holiest of Holy Swords!" he continued to shout. "No demonic weapon stood a chance against it in the Great War! Holy Swords were but wicker flames compared to its light! With it, a _human _was able to stand against the might of the Fallen and Devil armies! How can you stand there and resist it, let alone multiples of it? What are you, woman?"

She answered, of course, in a patient motherly tone. But not before bringing a tickling strand of hair behind her ear. Oh, there had been some blood at the tip of her ear. She brought it to her lips, slightly distracted by a thought. The sugary and coppery taste was conflicting but welcoming. It was what death tasted like. It was debatable whether she liked it or not.

"I am Third Predator, the Divine Beast," her words were lecturing, almost dispassionate. And there had been no authority in her tone nor was there power enriched by the World. But its point had been made.

"Divine… Beast…" Kokabiel snarled. His fanged teeth gritting against each other. The sound was like two pieces of metal grinding. "Even Excalibur had the power to slay the original Leviathan and Behemoth. They were once Divine Beasts."

She almost rolled her eyes. He didn't understand. He, a greater being blessed with knowledge beyond the understanding of humanity, couldn't comprehend something so… simplistic. She was _the _Divine Beast. It couldn't be any more fundamental than that.

"Oh, would you look at that," Valper cut in. He had his Excalibur impaled into the ground as he looked over his shoulder. But the only thing his eyes were locked on was the wall behind him. "I should probably go deal with that. If we lose our test subject we also lose our primary resource. I need him if I'm to find a way to fix this dilemma. Perhaps the demonic attributes of Sword Birth is diluting the holy attributes of Excalibur…?"

She realized he was looking past the wall. He must have had some sort of detection feature locked on Yuuto Kiba. But… from what she remembered, Valper Galilei was not magically gifted.

"Are you running away from this, Valper?" Kokabiel's eyes flashed dangerously to the man beside him.

"Oh, heavens no," Valper chuckled as though it were a joke. "Unless, of course, you wish to deal with the Devils who snuck underground yourself and leave me, the one who can create your Excaliburs mind you, to deal with the Divine Beast."

…And, apparently, he had been able to detect multiple demonic energies.

"…Be quick about it," Kokabiel grunted, his charm from before long gone from the frustrations of the battle.

Serene moved, rushing towards Valper. She would not allow him to walk away now that she knew he was the artificial wielder of this archaic Sacred Gear. He was the one creating the blades. If she could kill him then the rest of the Excaliburs would disappear.

She moved through the crowds. They carved away at her but did nothing more than slow her down slightly. They always aimed at her body, thinking she would drop dead if they struck some vital secret spot. Always, while their blades inserted inside her flesh, she returned the favor and tore them apart just the same. She was pressed for time as Valper was already moving. But to the observer, it looked like she was walking casually through the wall of Fallen and leisurely swatting them away like annoying flies.

Valper was already at the doorway to the back. His back was towards her.

She cut the next Fallen in half and there was a momentary gap in their ranks. She had a pocket of space for her to see Valper clearly. The gap was beginning to close as two Fallen were regaining ranks to surround her.

**"Death!" **he put all her passion into the sin she desired. Creyroux was swung, its crimson edge singing as it spliced through the air. A black, breathing wave of sin lashed out like a savage beast. The Fallen in her way crumbled as it nicked them, be it a deep wound on their arms or the smallest scratches on their leather armor. And with every contact, the sin began to shrink.

It broke through the crowds with enough potency to reach Valper. It slithered through the air, growing tendrils as it reached out towards him like a living creature sinking its claws for the kill.

It hadn't been enough.

A wall of Excaliburs appeared at the doorway, forming a barrier just as it had before when she attempted this in the beginning. Her sin had been strong enough to break the holy weapon in the front but could do no more to the seven at its side.

It didn't matter. Valper was already gone.

Frustration was an emotion she thought only Chase could bring about. That damn boy had been one of the few capable of grating her nerves. He was also the only one she couldn't accept. So to find a new source of frustration was an odd sensation.

She expected her enemies to cut into her during this moment of hesitation. They didn't. With their numbers shaven they were learning from her habits. They gathered close to another and were wary of her movements. Their arrogance was tempered down. They still believed they were the superior breed, and they weren't wrong, but they were now cautious regarding her.

Her attempt to kill Valper had gotten her surrounded. This wasn't a disaster to someone like her who was virtually deathless. But it was… tedious having to deal with such a number.

She still felt pain whenever they attacked. She accepted a part of her _may be _sadistic but she was no masochist. She never once enjoyed devouring sin and being forced to reflect it. She hated it with every fiber of her being.

Serene readied her blade for another round.

The wall to her right came crumbling down as something burst through. An intoxicating level of radiant energy swept through the cathedral, transcendently richer than even the combined euphoria of the Excaliburs. It made the air itself glow and shadows dance.

"Ah, Master," Serene stood up straight and gave a curtly nod.

The Eighth Predator, donned in his red Scale Mail and Gift of Flight blazing, floated out of the hole he had just made. Under his arms was the bleeding remains of the young man who had taken him by surprise.

He dropped the body to the floor… from twenty feet up.

"Vali… lost?" she heard Kokabiel gasp. He had thought the White Dragon Emperor could win? Leave it up to the arrogance of a Fallen to believe whatever cards they hold are the best.

Issei's head turned towards the ten-winged Fallen. All of the pressure within the room was gathered upon him as though a great invisible hand had collected every ounce of it and piled it high on his shoulders. The Fallen slouched with shaking shoulders and wobbly knees. He could barely keep the Excalibur lifted in his hands.

"Master, I need to see down below at once," Serene announced.

She wouldn't tell him yet about the plan. Rias Gremory and her peerage were to sneak in and retrieve Yuuto Kiba while most of the confrontation was gathered by she and Issei. The Dragoon wasn't to know about this upon an agreement between Serene, Serafall, and Rias. He more than likely wouldn't agree.

She didn't wait for a response from him. Only bowed respectfully in an eastern tradition and moved swiftly through the crowds. She had to push a few aside to squeeze through; but they were all frozen in demoralizing fear to stop her.

Seeing their greatest champion defeated and their leader shaking in his boots all by the same culprit will rattle any army. If they thought Valper had run away, their supplier to the best anti-Devil weapons, then all the more reason.

"Now then, _Fallen Angels, _where were we…?" she heard his murderous voice from as soon as she slipped into the doorway and began to leap down the stairway. It was almost hard to believe this was the perverted young boy who had gone on a panty raid back in the Vatican. He sounded more monster than man.

The sound of screaming came shortly after. If she focused hard enough while running deeper into the cathedral, she could make out the occasional crunching of bone and squishing of flesh.

…She may be more sadistic than she thought.

*Scene*

Artemis James Philips watched as Chase Lance Rolan worked. His witchcraft was always interesting— a thought that was borderline heresy. Philips suppressed it. The Acolytes were still his mortal enemy no matter what Chase preached. He may respect the Sixth enough to be a comrade in arms but he will never accept him as a personal friend. In the end, Philips was still a Tactical Hunter and Chase was still a disgusting Acolyte.

What Chase had done to kill Adams McCain was proof enough all Acolytes were beyond salvation.

Philips watched as Chase used his Flame witchcraft to heal Gremory. It went beyond the normal Acolyte witchcraft when his taint could counteract the properties of the NERGAL dagger. No supernatural force should be able to touch what it had cut. Philips also didn't understand how a flame could heal someone. Fire always destroys, and this had been the words of Chase himself. So then, what exactly was he destroying?

He once said he learned the technique from studying Serene. Philips still couldn't make sense of it. Witchcraft. That's all it was.

"You won't tell me?" Chase said when the flames started to dim. An indication his healing was complete.

Philips owed him an answer at the least. There were some respects he had to pay to his ultimate enemy. "To make sure you don't last after the Evensong."

They had roughly a year until the beast broke free from its cage. Less if the Kaos Brigade continued to search for the seals that imprisoned it. Every seal broken cut the time considerably. Philips had gathered just enough information on Chase's affairs to know about his connection to Sona Sitri. The Dusk Blades constantly watching Asia Argento and the other inside the Hyoudou residence had gathered enough.

There were two costs to lying for someone like he and Chase. The only one Philips was interested in was the second. They were on borrowed time almost like those who _rightfully _existed. They, however, had been claimed by the Abyss after Betraying. Their time was limited. And the more they broke the rules of their lease the quicker their time came.

If he had calculated right, Chase would only have a month or two after the Evensong.

The Sixth's eyes narrowed. He understood all of this.

Philips will always be professional with him. He would be at his side always in times of crisis. But he will also have a gun pointed and a dagger hidden always. Besides, even if Chase had somehow succeeded in breaking himself free from the Abyss and removing his curse, Philips made a promise to kill him when everything was over. Eternal sleep or dark oblivion, either choice made no difference to him in the end.

When Rias Gremory began to mumble, Philips turned up the level of his _Radiance of the Sun. _He would be undetectable in every measure in this plane of existence with the exception of Chase.

"Get up, Gremory," Chase snarled when he stood fully. The girl didn't respond. His frustration rose and he kicked into the side where her wound had been.

"Stop that," Xenovia had barked from the table he had dumped her on. She couldn't stand on her own and only resorted to propping herself up with her elbows.

Philips bowed his head and focused on the Twilight Blades he had placed around the vicinity while Chase was having difficulties stirring the Gremory girl. Thirty Dusk Blades were watching the outside of the building with five inside. And one Dawn Blade was on its way to this location. They had nothing of vital importance to report other than what he could have predicted on his own. He gave instructions to each of them to carry on with their normal duties through a mental connection.

He had yet to find the location of the Fourth, his primary target. But the Vampire was hiding somewhere nearby. He was always the sort to watch in the least likely area— if this whole event was a large theatrical stage then he would be _sitting _upside-down on the ceiling. Or, the more likely case, he would be a part of the crew. Either the actors on the stage or the support behind the curtains.

Philips would never claim to understand the Vampire. He didn't want to. For the sake of his own sanity he never tried to and only based his decisions off of the Vampire's habits.

"What happened?" Rias Gremory slowly lifted her body until she was on her knees. "Why… Why am I on the floor?"

She wasn't dazed. Merely confused. His _Radiance of the Sun _sometimes produced this effect on some individuals. Especially when its power was at this level. She would be tending to Yuuto Kiba and then all of a sudden find herself on the floor. Any aches from the stab wound would be ignored or her mind wouldn't be able to register them anyways. It would be the same if he had cut off her hand; she would have been ignorant about it until she needed it for something.

Chase looked at Philips for a moment before looking back at Gremory. "Get up. Get a hold of yourself and get moving. Your enemy is coming."

She didn't question him. Her mind had caught up with her previous train of thought and went back to rescuing her Knight. Her devilry glowed in an eerie red and black light as they dissolved the chains around the blonde Devil.

It was as though her near-death experience never happened. With _Radiance of the Sun _so high, in all technicality the experience _didn't _happen. It had been hidden from the Laws of the World. It had even been hidden from Gremory's mind and soul. She will never know she would have died.

Chase did not wait for her this time. He glowered once at Philips before turning back to Xenovia. He did not heft her over his shoulder like he had previously. She wouldn't have allowed it anyways. With some grunting on her part, she was lifted to her feet and supported upright with one arm around her waist and hers over his shoulder. But he was impatient as he almost dragged her instead of keeping back with her steps.

Philips took this moment to step around Gremory. The sound of his boots crunching gravel did not make it to her. He was a specter in this state. The Fifth Predator examined the young Devil closely behind his HUD visor. It was almost disgusting how human she looked. Even he would have been fooled hadn't he been trained to detect the supernatural off the streets.

His fingers wrapped around the hilt of his NERGAL dagger almost instinctively. There had been a point in time when he had respected the Dragoon. He, a human, had surrendered his humanity for the sake of becoming a hero. Philips would not deny he had condemned the boy for giving up his very soul but had grown a level of appreciation for what he had pawned it for. Power, but a power to save others and do good for the whole world.

And then Rias Gremory came along.

Philips wondered if he should kill her now that Chase wasn't going to intervene a second time. Perhaps he should have plunged the dagger through her heart instead of her waist. Hyoudou would be set free from his imprisonment. The world would have its hero once more.

But it was the constant observing from his Twilight Blades that made him think twice. He had watched Hyoudou carry about his days as though he were a normal boy through the observations of the Dusk Blades. And he had gotten to know Hyoudou at a personal level from the guise of Motohama as a Dawn Blade.

Things might appear worse. Hyoudou might be trapped in a cage. But he was happy.

After all, Philips had found himself in a similar cage. He had his wife, Louise, and two daughters, Breanna and Wendy.

He uncurled his fingers from the dagger and brought two of them to the side of his helmet. He changed the orders of the Dusk Blades within the building.

*Scene*

He felt the heat beneath his armor. It wasn't a fire, just holy radiance coming from each and every Excalibur still remaining. Assuming truth Rolan said the current Excalibur was only one-tenth as powerful as the original, then it would only take ten Excaliburs to be on par. There were at least thirty remaining after Serene had cut down their numbers. Still, that was equivalent to three original Excaliburs.

It still stung being exposed to the light. He didn't want to imagine what it would feel like to be cut by one.

Not that they actually could cut into him.

There had been no warning on his end. No heroic or vengeful speech. He simply moved through them all with a strange mixture of awe, disgust, and pleasure of himself. His opponents may have been weaker than him to take pity on, and they were ancient enough to want to seek their wisdom, but he had made a promise. No, not a promise, but an oath.

He still hated Fallen for what they had done to him and what they had done to Asia. He hated them twice so for what they had done to Yuuto and what they were attempting tonight. But as he went around ripping them apart, scorching them with manifested destructive shots, or crushing them with earthshattering blows, he couldn't help but hate himself further. The act of killing had always made him green. His first kill had been brutal and so very unlike the heroic tales he had heard of as a small child.

There was nothing glorious about being soaked in the blood of your enemies, being surrounded in the stench of copper and waste, and having that brief moment of intimacy between the murderer and the victim that no amount of time together could replicate.

There was as much joy as there was hurt as he moved around.

"Stop him!" shouted someone. He didn't know who nor did he care. "Stop him!"

Whatever form of teamwork they had was long gone. It was now just a struggle for them to survive. A struggle he would put all of his effort into making sure would never see the light of day.

The next Fallen within arm's reach screamed and tried to push herself as far away from him as possible. Her wings flapped and flung her body away. But he caught her by her heel, pulled with strength one tier away from ripping the whole leg off, and slammed her back down to the ground. Her skull collapsed; her body twitched violently from the cranial damage for a few minutes.

He was already moving to the next Fallen. A set of three who huddled together shoulder to shoulder. They still had their Excaliburs raised with fierce determination on their face. But he could smell the fear in them just as strong as he could smell the urine running down their legs.

He was a blur, smashing into all three with a single kick. The first one on his left was torn in half, the middle one had his body caved, and the one on the far right who took the least amount of damage was sent flying away. The third one's body crashed against the back wall. He struggled to get upright.

Issei sent a crimson beam of destruction at him. It burned a hole through his chest as big as a fist.

One Fallen was on his flank. He swung the Excalibur thinking Issei was exposed for an attack. Issei didn't need his Predator perks to sense the level of desperation on the Fallen. He was the only eight-winged Fallen remaining— the execution of his attack was driven by fear just as much as it had been through his experience from innumerable fights.

Issei sidestepped him and moved on to the next Fallen. The eight-winged man blinked. His sword continued to swing forward and eventually flew out of his reach to impale another Fallen in front of him.

He simply hadn't seen Issei move. His arm was cut off by the claws of his gauntlet. Nor did he notice his beating heart was in the Dragoon's hands until the full swing was executed and he was falling to his knees.

Fallen after Fallen either came or fled. He moved around them, pushing the limits of his perceptions as hard as he could within the tight space. The Gift of Flight continued to glow and move him about the cathedral based on his desires. He moved as fast as he wanted so long as his mind could cope. It was giving him a migraine but this wasn't the fastest he had been pushed.

A set of five were making a break for it. Two were flying as fast as they could towards the main entrance while the other three were going out the hole he had created in the wall. At the same time, he was ripping out the intestines of one Fallen while crushing the windpipe of another. His back was to those fleeing.

In the next instant, he had slaughtered the three. Their faces were frozen in the last expression of hope-filled freedom as he dragged his claws through each of them. They probably never knew he had killed them. And while their bodies were barely beginning to fall, he was standing at the front entrance and cutting off anyone else who would try to escape.

The two, a couple based on how they embraced another, stopped in their tracks. The man still had his Excalibur, raised in defiance, while the woman conjured a violet spear of light.

The look in their eyes… They were only following orders. They wanted nothing to do with him from the beginning. They were pleading with him to let them go.

He swallowed his emotions and cut them down. And then moved on to the next group.

Five seconds. It had only been five seconds and he had killed almost every Fallen within the room. It hadn't been a challenge. Merely a slaughter.

"You! I do not fear you!" shouted the pack leader, who Issei had noted right away had thrown his men in front of Issei instead of fighting himself. The Fallen had all but lost their morale. If they did not put up a better fight and stand united Issei would continue to walk all over them.

The Fallen understood this, puffed out his chest, and lifted his Excalibur up in ready to use. "Do you know who I am, Devil? I am Kokabiel, the Morning Star! I have seen the dawn of creation and have brought the knowledge of the stars to you lowly creatures! Archdemons and archfiends of your ilk I have slaughtered by the hundreds! I have—"

Issei's claws wrapped around Kokabiel's head and shoved him into the ground. None had seen him move. Not even Kokabiel based on the ways his eyes widened in surprise. But the Fallen had the sharpest instincts and reactions than even the eight-winged one. The Excalibur in his hands still swung around despite the level of force pressed against his skull.

The golden blade was caught in his gauntlet. The touch of the holy essence burned through the armor and scorched his flesh. It burned like acid and his nerves screamed into his mind to get him away from it. But he endured.

He flexed his hand. The Excalibur broke in two by his grip. The conjured blade dissolved into dust.

And the damage wrought onto his gauntlet was mended. The metal hardened and the exposure spread throughout his entire armor. He now had a slight resistance to the Excalibur's holy essence.

"I don't care," countered Issei. He willed the mask of his helm to draw back. His face was revealed to the Fallen; draconian scales, emerald eyes with diamond slit pupils, and a row of fanged teeth. "I gave you a warning. You should have listened."

Without further warning, he flung Kokabiel from the grip he had around his face. His claws dug into his flesh and tore chunks out when he released him. Kokabiel crashed through one of the pillars and flipped back over to land on his feet. His body was durable as the pillar did nothing more than softly pat against his shoulder. He snarled, angry and desperate, and brought his hands together over his head.

A spear of light unlike any other appeared. It was more brilliant than a single Excalibur blade as it electrified the room and illuminated the shadows. Issei could feel his skin prickling by its light. The size of it was massive— thrice as long as he was tall and just as thick as his body.

Issei paid it only enough attention to get a general grasp of its destructive potential. A direct hit from that could kill him. The rest of his attention was locked on Kokabiel. The Dragoon walked forward. Each step agonizingly slow compared to his instantaneous speed.

"You are nothing compared to me, Red Dragon Emperor!" continued Kokabiel as he continued to feed his power into the spear. "I've killed a hundred of your predecessors!"

He flung the spear forward. It zipped through the air like a beam of compressed lightning.

Another beam matched it, one coming from Issei. The draconian Devil punched through the air, channeling raw destruction through his body. The crimson ray was a unique radiance of its own as its light was dark instead of brilliant. It may as well have been the rays of inverse sunlight. At its exposure, the room was consumed in its crimson hues over Kokabiel's white light.

The draconian beam of destruction enveloped the spear. It remained for a fragment of a second, just as defiant as the maker, before blinking out of existence.

Issei's attack continued, blasting a hole out of the side of the building and continuing to soar out of the hillside. It clipped the tops of trees and the distant hills and continued to stream out into the open sky.

It had also obliterated Kokabiel's right arm.

If there had been any remaining resistance or futility to escape, it had been wiped clean at the display of his power. Issei moved once again, his Gift of Flight blazing and sending him forward. His gauntleted fingers were wrapped once more around Kokabiel's head as he lifted the man off the ground. The ten-winged Fallen did not have the strength nor the fortitude to resist. With but a flex of his hand could Issei pop his head like a fruit.

"Master Hyoudou, please stand down!"

Issei did not give Lancelet a glance. He had picked up her location as soon as she and the others passed through the Fourth's barrier but a few seconds ago. Nevertheless, he gave her plea some consideration.

Some.

"Will you stain yourself further, Master Hyoudou?" came the question from Ludwig next. The Dragon Slayer waddled forward with most of his weight supported by his cane. There was a tired and aged expression on his face. The effect of the barrier was affecting him the most as he was the Second and branded a Predator for most of his life. But when he stepped forward, pushing himself in front of the remaining Fallen who were too scared to move, he stood tall and spoke through a hardened voice.

"What would that girl think if her hero killed in cold blood?"

The question tugged at Issei's heart. It sent flashes of rage and grief simultaneously.

Ludwig went on. "Justice is… whatever you say it shall be. You are the lord of this land. They have wronged you. What decision you make now I shall respect. I, personally, would skin them should they do the same against my queen and her people. But I'm already hated enough by the people I've sworn myself to. You are the Red Blur, however; can you afford to be hated just the same? No, I think not. Master Hyoudou, you are a soul who cannot tolerate isolation."

"They'll keep coming," Issei growled. His hand began to glow as he channeled draconian destruction through his palm. The power began to burn Kokabiel's skin, who grunted and began to struggle against the grip.

"They always will," retorted Ludwig with a tiresome sigh. "They always will no matter what you choose. Power begets power. I am sorry, son. If you so desire a normal peaceful life I am afraid that is beyond your grasp. These nuisances will always come. Greater threats will arrive. Your loved ones will always be in danger. You cannot pretend to believe you can maintain the peace this way."

"…Why are you trying to save them?"

Ludwig gave a grim chuckle. "I am under orders to bring the one you hold to lawful custody. My queen holds a pact with the Church and I am bound by duty to follow. But… it would be out of my hands if the Dragoon were to enact justice in his own lands before I could reach him."

He concluded with a shrug before putting both hands at the top of his cane. He did not move and said nothing more. Ludwig von Siegfried only stared patiently at Issei.

Issei continued to stare into the eyes of Kokabiel through the gaps in his fingers. He only saw arrogance achieved through deception. The Fallen in his grasp was too proud to allow this defeat to go unsettled. If Issei were to let him go, to allow Ludwig and his entourage imprison him, Kokabiel will find a way to escape and enact his revenge. He will come back to hurt Issei not by direct confrontation but by going after his loved ones. Be it within next month, the next year, the next century, forever and ever. Issei would live on knowing at one point in time Kokabiel would return and someone close to Issei would wind up hurt.

There was also the other side of the argument. Issei appalled killing. For any reason, be it in the name of justice, morality, love, or selfishness the act of killing another was always the same. Death was unbiased. Murder will forever be murder. And he hated it. It made him feel weak. Murdering made him believe he wasn't strong enough to solve the problem without resorting to this cowardly notion. He understood the necessity of it at times but the act of removing one's life always tore away at his soul. To watch the life fade from one's eyes made him live vicariously through them.

Whenever he killed, he felt no better than the Fourth. He became a hero to _save _people. He wanted to prolong life, turning his entire existence into the antithesis of the Fourth. His first murder had him balling his eyes out and convulsing uncontrollably. It had been long before Sona had been at his side. He had to live with that stain never washing away.

The room was quiet as he mulled over these thoughts. He held the fate of the remaining Fallen in his hands, one quite literally. If he chose to kill Kokabiel, he would need to kill all of them to fulfill his promise. If he chose to let him go, he would have to set them all free. Both choices had consequences. Neither of them had any benefits.

His grip relaxed. Kokabiel sank to the floor.

Issei could feel the tension in the room relax. From the two Knights of the Round accompanying Ludwig to the remaining Fallen. Eight lives were saved. The remaining fifty-eight were spread all across the antechamber. Most of them in the literal sense.

"There you have it, brother," Ludwig looked over his shoulder and barked at the fourth man accompanying them.

Saint Virtue of Germany approached. He was still dressed in his priestly suit and still glowered like the wrinkly old man that he was. The man's eyes locked momentarily with Issei's; they reflected no ounce of praise or thanks. He looked more annoyed having to wait for something he believed should have been the obvious moral choice. And then they narrowed in condemnation simply for Issei being a Devil. Virtue looked ready to strike him down— or at least attempt to before Issei would rip his heart out— but kept his distance and walked around the Dragoon in a wide radius.

Issei stepped away from Kokabiel, though never once looking away from Saint Virtue. Likewise, the old Living Saint did the same. They both hated another and didn't try to hide their affections.

"Leave," Issei declared to no one in particular. His voice was low and still dangerous. The words sounded like they had been a struggle to say.

The remaining Fallen took flight without hesitation. The only indication they had been present were the feathers fluttering in the open air.

"Do not touch me!" Kokabiel roared and quickly rose to his feet. He looked ragged but his eyes were crazed like a rabid animal's. "I am Kokabiel! The Star of Heaven! I will not be defeated so easily by a creature barely a decade old!"

"Is he still going on about that rubbish?" Ludwig tapped a finger on the dragon head of his cane. "You would think the older the creature the more powerful it is, correct? But that's the funny thing about old gods. They're not. They're simply _old._"

"Speaking from experience, Master Siegfried?" quipped Morgan at his side.

Ludwig's only reply was to grimace and comb his fingers through the hair at his right temple.

"Kokabiel," Saint Virtue spoke in a deep voice. While Kokabiel was beautiful and magnificent even in his weakened state, Saint Virtue appeared equally as ancient and mighty. But Virtue was tempered with the burden of mortality. The flame in his eyes blazed stronger. "Your transgressions have robbed the Earth the men and women who shall never return to their families. For your theft of what remains of the Once and Future King and for your murder, I shall bring you to be judged by the highest authority of Heaven. The Court of the Seraphim shall judge you, heathen."

Kokabiel snarled. A spear of light was in his remaining hand and ready to lunge at Virtue. Issei would have moved to stop him hadn't Ludwig lifted his cane in front of his right knee. Issei hadn't even seen the Dragon Slayer move. The gesture alarmed him, no matter how harmless its intentions were.

The spear of light _bent _as soon as it touched Virtue's clothes. The energy warped around the man as though it could not touch him.

_** "And angels who did not keep their own domain," **_chanted Saint Virtue. Chains of etheric light danced around from the air and wrapped themselves around Kokabiel's wrists and legs._** "But abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day."**_

The chains wrapped further around his torso, around his limbs, and around his neck. He could hardly breathe as each link shrank and forced him down to his knees. It wasn't done. Chains of shadows came next, rising up from the darkness around them. Like hands they latched on to Kokabiel, who shirked as best he could under the restrictions. Nothing worked as the shadows dug into his flesh, impaling him with thorns at every link.

"I'll kill you!" he bellowed in his last defiance. "Your family, your lovers, every innocent who so much as looked at you I will kill them all! Their blood will be on your hands! This I swear!"

The shadows reached deeper and began to pull him down into the ground. The last person Kokabiel glared at had been Issei before the Fallen was beyond his senses.

Issei felt… tired. More mentally and spiritually than physically. Though his heart was still pumping hard from the adrenaline and he would come crashing down now that all the excitement was gone. He was just waiting until the backlash would hit him. The murders he had committed tonight, despite their reasons, would bombard his psyche at any minute.

A pair of arms wrapped around his neck and pulled his head down. His face was pressed against the marshmallow— if not a little firm— mounds of Morgan. She patted his head gently. It would have been soothing if, and only if, she hadn't spoken in her usual monotone voice.

"There, there, Master Hyoudou," she said as though reciting a script. "It's all over now. Take all your frustrations out on me. Impregnate me if you so desire."

"Bloody Christ, Morgan!" hammered Lancelet.

Saint Virtue gave an audible snarl at the blasphemy but said and did nothing. His eyes had flickered over towards Ludwig, who was watching the spectacle with some mild amusement.

Issei didn't break free from Morgan's grasp. It was making his blood rush faster. He hadn't taken the opportunity to take in the appearance of the Knights of the Round's attire. Both Morgan and Lancelet were in some sort of spandex leotard akin to Irina's Exorcism battle suit. It also came with knee-high leggings and gloves that reached as far as their armpits. Strangely, there were no footwear yet the bottom of their leggings had grooves as far as he could tell.

They might as well have been naked in all honesty. Whatever it was they were wearing might as well be a second skin. He didn't need his superhuman pervert abilities to see through the fabrics.

Morgan might have the allure of a corpse, but Issei could never deny her warm, soft breasts simply felt divine.

"I-It's not what you think, Master Hyoudou!" Lancelet had the need to cover herself with her arms when he continued to stare at her. His cheeks reddened as the attempt backfired and made her all the more captivating. "This is our Coat of Arms! We wear this in battle! Y-You would have seen us differently had we arrived sooner! S-So stop staring at me like that!"

Morgan held on to Issei a little tighter as her dead eyes moved over towards her teammate. "Lancelet, you're not helping me. He's becoming erect because of you and not me."

Lancelet and Issei's face turned scarlet. He tried to move away but Morgan wasn't willing to let go.

Morgan tilted her head in thought. "If you join that might be easier."

"Sir Siegfried…" growled Saint Virtue. By this point the old man was turning purple in rage.

Ludwig tapped his cane to the ground to draw attention. "Girls, we are still on duty."

"Sir, yes, sir!" shouted both Knights as they stood erect and clicked their heels together. Morgan had released Issei and the boy fell to his knees from the sudden lack of support.

Ludwig's face was serious now. "Master Hyoudou, where is the Fourth?"

Issei's eyes hardened, "I don't know. I haven't been able to sense him here nor on my way here when I was still connected to the World. The old guy said he got tired of waiting for us and just left. He could be anywhere."

Ludwig's eyes narrowed as he scanned about the room. "What 'old guy'? Is he elsewhere?"

"Some priest," Issei shrugged but focused on his senses. He immediately picked up the resonating signatures of everyone in the room and even the dying embers of the Fallen that would soon perish. He then felt Serene as her demonic energy was the easiest to pick up even from a hundred miles away. She was just a walking storm of chaos.

Further down at the lower levels of the cathedral he managed to find the fat priest. He also sensed Rolan's summer and winter aura along with the Exorcist Xenovia near him. They were all within the same hallway.

His heart lurched. Asia, Koneko, Akeno, Irina, Rias, and Kiba were there as well. Some of them were hurt.

"What are they doing here?!" Issei gritted his teeth and turned towards the doorway that would lead to the lower levels. His Gift of Flight blazed once more.

Explosives went off below everyone's feet. The ground collapsed as everyone began to fall into the lower levels. Issei was the only one not affected by this due to his wings. However, he knew they were right above his friends. And they will be crushed by the crumbling rubble.

His wings flashed by his will. The Red Blur flew past the collapsing ceiling with only precious seconds to save those he could.

*Scene*

Rias was taking too much time, they reasoned. The plan was for them to sneak in, grab Kiba, and get out as quickly and quietly as possible. The cloaks Serafall Leviathan had given each of them concealed their presence from most detection techniques, including and especially Rolan's and Issei's. This was to be a covert operation; Serafall could not come on the chance they would have been caught. It would be a political scandal if the head of foreign affairs was lurking around Fallen territory no matter the reason. But if they, barely Low-class Devils, were to get caught then it would be nothing more than a minor nuisance to get them pardoned.

That was assuming, of course, _if _the plan had failed. If Kiba wasn't here then it would be all for naught. But if he was here then they could use him as counter-evidence.

None of them liked the red tape behind such a simple operation. Their friend was kidnapped and they needed to tread lightly without stepping on the kidnapper's toes to save him.

Koneko flashed two fingers to where the other members of the Gremory Peerage were hiding. It meant they had two minutes remaining until they had to abandon the mission. Rias had yet to return.

Akeno nodded and then turned her attention towards the third-wheel of the group, Shidou Irina. The girl didn't need to go along with their group and could have just waited patiently back in the clubroom with Serafall. But she was determined to come to the aid of her friend. Irina had agreed that if she was to go then she would have to follow the orders of either Rias or Akeno without question. Irina wasn't so stupid as to think she could take on a mass of Fallen by herself without her Excalibur Mimic. She complied and have done so thus far.

Asia was huddled behind Koneko, her hands clasped together as she silently prayed. Nothing but worry was on her face. Worry for Kiba, for Rias, and for Issei.

The sound of something grinding against the walls caught their attention. It had come from the stairs further down and was drawing closer.

An old man dressed in lavish priestly robes turned the corner and began to walk towards them. His beady eyes saw all of them despite the illusionary charms Akeno had put up as well as the cloaks they wore. A twisted smile grew on his face.

In his right hand was a golden and blue sword etched with runes. Its glow sent electricity through the three Devils worse than any Fallen's spear of light could. It felt like a holy radiance unlike any other. And he was just gliding it across the wall, cutting it deep into the brimstone as though it were putty.

"I see you, children," he called out in a grandfatherly voice. One filled with teasing and tender love. If only his smile matched his voice.

"Valper Galilei," hissed Irina as she was the first to leap out of her hiding spot. "That sword in your hand… Is that Excalibur?"

The three Devils froze.

"My, what lovely eyes you have, my child," snickered Valper. He raised his sword, the Excalibur, up to his face and eyed it appraisingly. "Why, yes it is. After so long I have finally done what the Church feared to do. Excalibur is complete once again… and I am its master."

"You…" fear and anger flashed through Irina. "The Excaliburs were supposed to be separate! The Church never united them for a reason! That's a power that should only belong to King Arthur!"

"Bah!" spat the priest. "Only fools would ignore the potential they wield. Swords were made to be used! If you do not use them to their full potential then you are wasting them. But that's enough of that. You brats are in the middle of stealing something that doesn't belong to you. Misbehaving runts like you need to be punished."

Akeno stood and came beside Irina. A cold fury coursed through her veins. "Something that belongs to you? Kiba-kun is _our _friend, our brother, a member of the Gremory family. You had no right—"

"HE IS _MY _POSSESSION!" shouted Valper at the top of his lungs. His face turned purple with rage. "I had every right to dispose of my waste. I do not appreciate rodents digging through my things and plucking what doesn't belong to them."

Akeno did not want to hear anything further. She raised her hand and channeled her demonic might through her veins. Lightning surged from her fingertips and cracked through the air.

It struck the Excalibur. But the lightning did not continue to flow down the arm of the wielder. It did not scorch his flesh and sizzle his nerves. Excalibur had stopped it from doing such. As the lightning was of demonic origins, the holy affinity of the blade surpassed the depth of Akeno's devilry. The lightning dissipated into nothingness.

Valper sneered. And then tightened his grip on Excalibur.

Light poured out from the blade.

Akeno screamed as the radiance from Excalibur began to peel away her skin. Her flesh blackened and her hair smoked. She flinched and instinctively put her hands up to protect herself. But the magic shield she had conjured quickly rotted and the harm onto her continued with renewed vigor. Her feet were already taking her back as her Devil's instincts took control of her body to have her escape and seek shelter.

Irina placed herself in front of Akeno and drew an Exorcist's blade of light from within her own divine cloak. She was unaffected by the holy radiance and charged at Valper. She was trained to combat against forces beyond human reach. Even without her Excalibur Mimic she was a formidable force on her own. After all, only the best and purist of the Exorcists were chosen to wield the Excalibur Fragments.

She did not get far. Barely two steps.

Valper had thrown his Excalibur with unreal strength. His arm whipped around in a blur as the golden blade blazed and fired forward like a heavenly spear. She barely dodged it, with it grazing against her shoulder. The cut was clean and deep; the blade spliced through her without any resistance and had been so sharp her steps were unperturbed. She wouldn't have known hadn't she seen it come her way.

Valper snapped his fingers.

An explosion of light and metal knocked her off her feet. More screams came, a chorus of agony from several voices… including her own. She was roaring in pain before her mind could register what had happened.

She was on her knees with one hand on the floor to keep her upright. Something within her was torn, shredded. The other hand went to her torso; there was blood— a lot of it.

The explosion had come from behind her. So why was she bleeding from the front?

Valper began to laugh as he strolled forward. He was within arm's reach of Irina; he clicked his tongue as he appraised her condition. His eyes flickered behind her and deeper down the hallway, where the other Devils had hid. His smile grew when he heard their whimpering. The faint green glow of the Twilight Healing was spotted around the corner.

"He says it's weak," Valper began with a sneer in his voice. "Weak! The exposure of this Excalibur alone was able to cripple a Devil's Queen. Combined with the Miracle of Separation from the Durandal and the Excalibur can cut through anything. It makes for a marvelous grenade, what with shrapnel going through the stone in the walls and striking no matter where you hide. Look, girl, it even tore through your holy protections. Such as shame you're going to die. You had such promise… I'd like to see what you could have added to this Excalibur, holy sword wielder."

Irina was struggling to stay conscious. She was bleeding out. She had difficulty bleeding. She couldn't feel her legs and knew from the wetness running down her legs she had just lost control of her bowels. One of those shards must have severed something within her spine. The world was growing dark and she was losing sensation.

A cold righteous fury kept her conscious. Valper, the Archbishop of Genocide, had just admitted to have experimented on Xenovia. Did he force it out of her? He must have. He had done _things _to her dear friend if it meant Durandal had been in his possession.

"Hmm…?" Valper looked over his shoulder when the sound of rushing footsteps came from the other end. They had been soft and silent, barely audible hadn't the hallway been deafly quiet to begin with.

Blades clashed. Valper had raised his hand in the last second; another Excalibur was in his grip as a crimson blade went for his head. Sparks of light and taint flickered between the walls.

Serene's eyes were cold and murderous. It was a sight none had ever born witness to within the Church.

"Why hello there, Amelia, sweetheart," Valper purred with a sickening smile. The sound of her name caused the Divine Beast's eyes to narrow, to twitch in reaction for all the paranoia when a Living Saint's name was known. "You haven't aged a day since all those years ago!"

Her response was to break the engagement and swing her crimson sword back around. Black vein-like lines ran down the spine of her blade. It resonated, vibrating almost in a song of a feral beast growling right before the kill.

When next Valper brought his sword to defend, his eyes widened.

Creyroux did not cut through Excalibur so much as it tore through it. The folds of the metal crumbled as the crimson edge ripped through its layers. The holy sword was losing its luster, rusting at an impossible rate as the blade dug deeper. Halfway through the swing did Excalibur snap in two.

There was no resistance as Serene plunged her sword deep into Valper's chest. Its curses continued to feed into Valper. His skin turned ashen gray as it sank in. The robes rotted and crumbled apart as though exposed to the elements for hundreds of years. The spare skin such as his nose, lips, ears, and eyelids peeled off.

With an aggressive tug, Serene ripped her blade from his chest. Dust went everywhere as the mummified corpse collapsed.

She did not have time to reflect on her actions. She was already moving.

Creyroux swung again through the air, this time more slowly and with resistance as though there was something thick in the air. A veil of shadows and darkness trailed behind it, wrapping around the tip of her sword. They were thick ribbons of sin, of the evils inflicted upon those she desired to correct.

Irina gasped as she felt the ability to breathe again. Her legs tingled as the nerves were reconnected. Her body had even been cleaned.

The same was happening to the Devils of the Gremory peerage. Their wrongs were being removed, their bodies healed.

But all of their sins were being absorbed into Serene. Her skin turned charcoal and chipped away. The muscles and organs within her being shredded. The stench of urine and feces ran down her legs. Her body spasmed, jerking uncontrollably and nearly brought her down to the floor. She looked like a monster straight out of a horror movie.

In the next minute, all the signs of harm were gone. They washed out of her and into her blade. She appeared as pristine as she always had been.

Serene gave a soft moan of relief as her freehand went to her chest. Though she looked to be in her mid-twenties, the expression on her face reflected her actual age. She looked… old. Matured and burdened with the hardships she was forced to bear.

"Sister… Serene?" Irina stood. She hadn't meant to call Serene a sister. It had been habitual.

The Queen of the Dragoon raised her hand to calm her ward. She did not say a word as her eyes were hardened. It was an expression one would wear when under the strain of an agonizing headache. She even brought her hand up to her brow.

"I would like to be out of this place immediately," she said in a low voice. But she didn't move. Of course she wouldn't. There was a job that needed to be done and her honor was keeping her in place.

Footsteps came forward. Akeno, Koneko, and Asia came from their hiding places as soon as they learned Serene of Finland… if she could still be called that… was within the vicinity.

"Madame Serene…" Asia called out in worry. Her concern only grew when she saw the look Serene had.

The Divine Beast only offered a small smile of assurance, though the smile never reached her eyes. "All is well, child. Master is dealing with the Fallen as we speak. What of Lady Gremory? Was she successful?"

"More or less," came a gruff voice from deep within the hall.

Chase Rolan turned around the corner with Xenovia latched onto his side. The bluenette was in terrible condition. Her face was pale, eyes heavy and somewhat glazed, her complexion sunken in and her lips cracked. She looked exhausted as she was half carried half dragged by her escort.

Following close behind him was Rias Gremory. She had less visible vitality than when she entered. The most vigor of the group was starch pale as though having exhausted her reserves of demonic energies to the last drop. But she held her head up high as though this didn't bother her… or if she hadn't noticed.

On her back was Yuuto Kiba. While Xenovia looked bone-weary tired, Kiba resembled more a corpse. His arms were limp over his master's shoulders as she had to hunch to balance him from not falling off. His head rested against her shoulder; his eyes open but gazing at the open space. He looked to have aged two full decades.

Most of the girls gasped at the sight of him.

"Xenovia!" cried Irina as she rushed to the aid of her dear friend. Rolan looked possessive when she approached, not willing to give up the prize for his payment. However, Irina had no intentions of doing such. She brought her arms around Xenovia's other side and supported the bluenette. The wielder of Durandal would no longer be dragged.

"Serene-sama," Rias approached the group as her eyes looked pleading at the former Living Saint. "Please, is there anything you can do for Yuuto?"

Serene's eyes narrowed as she examined the boy. The grip on Creyroux readjusted as she evaluated his condition and what she could do for him. The amount of sin on the boy was immense, but easily possible to remove. However…

Everyone in the hallway looked at her. Some of them had forgotten to breathe with how they anticipated her answer eagerly.

"He'll live for another week or so," Rolan answered instead. "Unlike Xenovia, he had worth. They made sure to keep him alive for as long as possible. The only amount of torture he received was from the surgery. His condition is only due to a bleeding soul."

It was as Serene thought. His life force was draining. Serene could use her _Transfer of Sin _to patch the wound and replenish his body. But the soul was another matter.

Rias turned and glared at him. "Are you saying there's nothing we can do about it?"

"Pretty much," he returned with a blunt glare of his own. His eyes flickered towards the ceiling. "His Sacred Gear has been damaged. He needs the pieces removed reinserted or else he'll die by… I don't know. Eighteen to twenty-six hours, depending on how little he struggles. The more he does the more his soul will bleed. The closest ones capable of putting it back are being executed by your wolfhound.

"You can try to Grigori Institute," his eyes went back to her and he shrugged dispassionately. "Even with Serafall's help that would take a great deal of time. A month at the least, what with they being your enemy and all. They might not do it at all since Hyoudou scared the living shit out of them awhile back."

"And how is it you know right off the bat what is going on with Kiba-kun?" Akeno questioned with an edge in her voice.

"Because fuck you, that's how," he retorted, his frustration growing clear on his face as his brows furrowed. "I've kept my promise to the best of my abilities. I have _nothing _to do with this. Perhaps if you kids get your head out of your asses, grow up, and _think _you'll be able to use the ever so basic process of elimination to figure out the problem."

Xenovia turned her head his way. "Save him," she growled. "Or I won't budge an inch."

"Girl…" he sighed in barely contained agitation. "I _can't. _And if I have to I will drag you out of here by the leg while your head hits every step on the stairs unconscious."

"But you _can,_" Rias perked. "You mean you know how to heal Kiba? That you yourself could do it _if _you had a reason to."

His eyes turned towards her. They were stony and expressionless this time. "Sure… why not. As Oberon I could do it. But I won't. I've already done enough for you, Gremory. I hope you one day understand what you've cost me."

Rias' brows furrowed this time. Cluelessness was in her eyes.

Serene's brows raised at the indication. Incredibility was expressed in her tone, borderline scandalizing, "You told a lie?"

His eyes flickered behind her, drawn away from the accusation as something else took his interest. It would have looked genuine hadn't Serene known him for so long.

"He's not dead."

She should have felt disbelief. The back of her mind had acknowledged the emotion and her rational side concurred with it. After all, she was a Predator and had used the very thing that made her such to execute Valper Galilei. However, the part of her brain in which controlled her body and its survival instincts, the part that had raised her like a stern parent since a small child, that part shoved those feelings down.

Creyroux whipped around as she spun on her heels.

Nine Excalibur blades flew towards her from where the rotten corpse squatted against the wall. They weren't complete constructs even as they were fired like projectiles. Her reaction was swift, but not enough. She was only human.

Two blades were deflected. But the others impaled her. They tore apart limbs, decapitated her head from her shoulders, and dug until the hilt rested against her torso.

Valper's ashen blue fingers snapped.

Light and shrapnel exploded in every direction. Nothing remained of Serene as her Creyroux clattered to the ground. But so long as the blade was there, she would return. But it would take time.

Time none of the others had.

The shrapnel had only destroyed Serene's body. Chunks of metal between the sizes of a fist to as small as a dust particle swam through the open air. They glittered in the air before dissipating into nothingness, blinking out of existence.

No one moved from their place, wary of another attack and skeptical they had been spared. Their arms were still raised in defense as demonic shields flourished at their fronts.

"I thought you wouldn't protect them," cackled a nasally, cracking, throaty and dry voice that had once been Valper. His body rose without any support, simply rising up to its feet. The body jerked, arms flailing around uncontrollably. Like a puppet on strings did it stumble forward without grace. With each step did his body rejuvenate until he could properly stand and walk. It only took a few seconds for the healthy visage of Valper to return. He smiled at the group like to how a grandfather would.

"I didn't," Rolan gave another retort. "The blade knows better than to try and harm its king. If you're going to try that shit again, then do it when I'm not around."

"You did," argued Valper. His lips curled between a smile and a sneer. "You _totally _did. You warned them I was still alive and stopped the pellets from spraying everywhere. You could have walked away or taken them head on yourself. But, whatever. How long did you know about me?"

"…The entire time," Rolan's stare was just as dry as his tone. They were humorless, unresponsive, and apathetic. He didn't blink in seeing Serene splatter into a thousand pieces. "I simply know you."

"No, you only think you do and I pretend that you do," Valper cackled further and summoned another Excalibur into his hands. He raised it to his face and inspected the edge up close. He ran his thumb to it; a trickle of blood ran down at the smallest touch. His smile turned appreciative.

"M-Mister Chase…" Asia turned her head and looked at Rolan. "What's going on?"

Valper's eyes flashed as the sound of her voice. "Asia Argento? Well, I'll be! If it isn't the little harlot that ruined the previous Holy Sword Project. Oh how I've waited for this day long enough. You don't mind if I skin her alive, do you, King Oberon?"

"…You're going to do it no matter what I say," Rolan's voice was cold. But he made no move to deject Valper nor to protect Asia.

The Gremory peerage huddled around the blonde girl as soon as the murderous intent from Valper spiked. His smile had grown exponentially. It was borderline maddening glee.

Asia looked at Rolan with eyes full of betrayal. But not matter what, she still looked at him with hope. As though there was some angle to this he kept hidden from her. As though he would protect her despite his words.

He never looked away from Asia. He merely shrugged as if to say…

_Oh well._

Asia's heart was broken by his distant look.

Rias' eyes kept focus not on Valper… but on the blood that trailed down the Excalibur. Something ate away at her. She took a shot in the dark and prayed she was wrong.

"You… You're really the Fourth, aren't you?"

Her entire peerage tensed at the accusation as well as the Exorcists.

Valper tilted his head, his smile thinning into a pressed line. He shrugged. "What? You think this fat old bastard could heft a sword this size and survive a direct curse from the Divine Beast herself? There _was _a Valper… whatever the fuck his surname was— at some point, but I needed his face for some fun. You know, terrorizing the Fallen, fucking with you Gremory kids, fucking with Issei… _again, _and even pulling the rug from Chase too. I'm thinking about mutilating your corpses and raping them until they're nothing but a heft of blood, meat, and semen. But it depends on how late the night gets. I have to be at work in the morning.

"While I'm talking, sharing my maniacal plan and all that shit," Valper— or rather, Fourth the Vampire strolled forward. "Yeah, I used the Fallen. Yeah, I kidnapped Kiba after drinking all of Valper Who-Gives-A-Fuck's memories. Why'd I do it? Because I killed some other Exorcists and took their memories after getting into a drunk rage and thought, hey, why the fuck not? So I took the Excalibur Fragments and thought to put them together. Not because I wanted them or anything. But I _really _just wanted the chance to fuck with Issei again.

"And you've just made yourself gift wrapped," he licked his lips as the light from Excalibur began to blaze. It was a dull light compared to before. It was just low enough to send intense but bearable heat their way. "I hope you don't mind but I always loved tearing the wrapping apart. Oh, no, that's not some sexual innuendo, by the way. I'm talking about your skin~"

He leapt at them, bringing his Excalibur around. The blood running at its edge left a trail in the air like a ribbon flourishing in the wind. It continued to sail forward as though attached to the edge of Excalibur.

Shields were erected before the Germory group scattered. But there was little space they could move with the hallway and their numbers. They could only backtrack into the deeper levels of the underground. But the Vampire was at their front, blocking off their passage and only means of escape.

Excalibur tore down their shields as his trail of blood flew forward like a whip being cracked at the end of the flick. The blood solidified, shimmered, and formed hooks at its tips.

He flicked Excalibur again, this time tugging the whip-like blood to a snap.

Asia gasped at it latched around her leg and pulled her under her feet. The hooks dug deep into her calve and had been able to snatch her despite the number of members blocking her from his view. The blood had avoided them, swerving around like a serpent, and had caught its prey.

The move had been so swift there was hardly a chance to react. Akeno fired small surges of lightning from her fingertips in an attempt to sever the cord. But upon impact it did nothing. The lightning sizzled out just as the same as it would have when striking at his sword.

Irina broke off from Xenovia's side and dove for Asia. Her arms wrapped around the girl's waist and tried to pull her away. The Bishop screamed in pain as the hooks dug deeper into her flesh. Irina stopped tugging at the instance, drew a dagger of light, and tried to cut the cord itself. It resembled a rubbery substance that bent around her blade and refused to be cut.

Xenovia moved to break away from Rolan, to try and support her friend. Her arm drew to her side, ready to call upon Durandal within the pocket dimension it had been stored. Except, Rolan squeezed her shoulder and shook her head.

"Why?!" she hissed as she felt something electrifying course through his hand. It made her arm numb with the feeling slowly spreading throughout her body. She had even more difficulty now keeping herself on her feet.

"Because you'll die if I don't get involved," he replied. His brows were furrowed, but they were of repressed aggressions. His eyes were flaring and his breathing was hard. But no matter what, he kept himself still. "I can't get involved girl. I can't."

"Koneko!" Rias called out and hefted Kiba towards the Rook. The small girl lifted his body and balanced it with ease. Free to use both her hands, Rias stepped to the front of the group.

Her Power of Destruction flourished at her command, almost impatient. The cardinal and black energies crackled like lightning and flared like fire. She pointed at the cord and her power fired off eagerly at her command.

It struck the blood cord and didn't dissolve. It fizzed after direct contact to the holy influence but continued to exist. The destructive energy instead dissolved the cord.

There was an audible snap as it split in half, letting Asia free. Irina pulled the girl back and deeper into the group. Akeno and Rias stepped forward, both their powers surging to protect their Pieces.

The Vampire looked at his makeshift fishing rod through scrutinizing eyes. He looked as though the instrument itself had offended him. Those same eyes then lifted to gaze at the Devils before him.

"Really?" he asked through strained sarcasm. "You're really going to make me… all right."

His back exploded into a gore of blood. More Excaliburs appeared, each one lifted into the air by thin bands of blood connected to his back and shoulders. More blood trickled down the golden blades, dripped down its tip, but never dribbling to the floor. It remained in a gelatinous form as it had before.

Then, came the radiance.

Blinding light burned in the hallway. Rias and Akeno screamed in anguish as they took the brunt of the purifying rays. Deeper wounds were made as there were more swords. They shriveled back as their bodies burned and peeled away. Rias fired blind shots of destruction towards the Fourth. Some made contact with swords that deflected the attacks. Had they been more potent then the destructive energy would have overpowered the Excaliburs they landed on. But with the combined might of its copies overlapping another, her devilry meant nothing.

During this moment of shock, the Fourth sent his artificial limbs forward. Excaliburs were thrust in the narrow hallways like spears and quickly retracted. They never once cut too deep as they only left small nicks on the surface of their skin… or what skin remained.

Rias and Akeno tried to stop him. They flung spells of all sorts his way. They collided against the walls, against the ceiling, some splashing onto him, but nothing stopped him toying with them.

All the while, Rolan watched. His displeasure was beginning to show as he bit his lower lip. His eyes never left Asia as she wreathed in pain. But no matter what, her Twilight Healing blazed continuously in a large bubble around her teammates. Their wounds weren't being healed but they were being dulled down. Her attempts was keeping them alive just a few scant seconds longer. At the same time, she channeled her own demonic energies forward and produced several layers of defensive barriers.

He marveled at their simplicity. _To block. _No intricate patterns or overcomplicated commands. But a small wish being established onto the world. Had it been powered by another energy source then she would have been able to protect her friends. But as it was of demonic origins, the Excaliburs were tearing them down as though they were made of paper.

His eyes went over his shoulder. His glare hardened.

Predator Philips as well was standing in the far back with Rolan. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching everything. Though lax, he was far from careless. Now that he knew this was the Fourth he was waiting for the perfect opportunity to take his shot. He was willing to sacrifice the entire Gremory peerage, the Exorcists, and even Rolan if he could manage to kill the Fourth.

Asia gasped once more. All eyes went towards her in shock and horror.

Multiple tendrils of blood wrapped around her body. It lifted her up in the air, slamming her against the ceiling with their sudden tug, and pulled her out of the circle of the group faster than anyone could react. Her body slapped the heads of her friends before they could do anything.

The Fourth reached out for her in an open hand. Asia flew straight into his grasp, her small neck slamming directly into his palm. She gasped at the impact but began to choke at his grip.

"ASIA!" shouted Rias with all her fury. Two orbs of destruction as large as her head flared in her hands. In desperation, she flung them both low in an attempt to take out the Fourth's legs.

A row of Excaliburs slammed into the ground in front of him, forming a protective wall of golden blades. Her Power of Destruction crashed and shattered the first two layers, ate away at the third, but then died out thereafter.

"Shhhhhhhhhhh~" The Fourth brought a finger to his lips and shushed the crowd. "You're ruining the scene where the romantic interest dies."

"Let her go!" shouted Rias. Her Power of Destruction flourished again in her hands. Blood trickled down her hands from the strain.

"…Or what?" the Fourth asked incredulously. He looked almost anxious for her answer. "No? Nothing? Still all tits and nothing else. Why don't you be a good little girl, go back into your kitchen, and make me a sandwich? That's an easy enough task for a little cunt like you, isn't it? Maybe this time you won't fuck something up any worse than you already did. I mean, how can you fuck up a sandwich?"

Asia gargled something in his grip.

His eyes went towards her. He offered her a kind smile. "Oh? I'm sorry. What was that? Speak up. I can't understand what you're trying to say."

Darkness flared, pushing back the light. Shadows pulled, gathered in one tight spot. Wounds were being devoured and pain absorbed. A black form appeared behind Valper as it lifted Creyroux to its side. A body formed. A mutilated and disgusting figure before the sin was hidden behind a veil of perfection.

Serene raised Creyroux to stab at the Fourth once again.

But she didn't go for the strike. The Fourth's blood tendrils brought their Excaliburs around and pointed each edge at Asia. Perhaps Serene might be able to recover from a holy blade, but surely not Asia. Any such weapon would obliterate the young Devil out of existence. The sin could not be removed from Asia if there was nothing there in the end.

Serene's eyes were hard and furious. Creyroux shook in her grip.

"Now… where was I…?" The Fourth dismissed her and went back to Asia in his grip. Her face was beginning to purple. His smile thinned; he loosened his fingers slightly. Asia gasped for air but not enough. She continued to have difficulty at each inhale.

He snapped a finger. Shrieks were made… but nothing happened. He had snapped a finger as a gesture of enlightenment.

He also took pleasure in watching them jump.

"I have it. Tell you what, since I'm a nice guy and all that," he began with a snort. "Asia, sweetheart, you still believe in your God, don't you? Even though he's dead? I mean, I wasn't the one who killed him but I killed the woman who did. All of her memories are within me. I saw how she drove her teeth into His flesh and drank all of his blood. Did you know even God bleeds? I didn't. Thought He was all ethereal and all that shit. Well, yeah, he was, but still. Don't ask me how that shit works.

"You still believe in Him, don't you? Yes, yes, YES I can see it still in your eyes. You don't believe He's gone despite the Evensong. So I'll tell you what. Pray to your dead God. Pray that He will save you. But you only give one chance. I mean, I still want to see Issei come down here at some point and see your neck twisted. Can you imagine how hilarious that will be? Well, maybe not. But to me that is.

"Go on then. Pray to your God. Pray to the celestial being that's _long _been dead. Pray to the guy who was killed and bled dry. Pray to the last remnants of humanity's finest that courses through my veins. Go on! So long as you understand nothing is going to happen. Because, wanna know something, I am the Earth Mother _and _the Heavenly Father! Bitch, I am the god-fucking Vampire!"

His smile was maddening by this point. Teeth as sharp as knives and far too many fitted row upon row within his mouth. His lips stretched across his face in a shape that should not have been physically possible. His marbled eyes of red and black were wide with a frenzy.

Asia whimpered. But she muttered words, far too quiet to be heard. Tears streaked down her face.

A single drop fell on his hand.

He bellowed in pain and released his grip on her instinctively. His skin crackled, peeled, shrank, sizzled, and pussed all from that one lone teardrop. It was like an acidic burn that reached deep into the very fabrics of his tissue.

Asia fell to the floor and began to wheeze.

"The fuck is this?!" the Vampire roared in outrage. He lifted his hand into the air. It no longer resembled a human hand but a mesh of mangled flesh and bone. Fingers fell as they decayed at a visible speed. "The fuck is this?! The fuck is this?! WHAT THE FUCK IS—"

Serene moved then. Creyroux whipped around in a crimson streak through the air. Her blade howled as all the darkness stored within was unleashed into the Vampire. For the first time, the blade was coated in a thick layer of black.

The Fourth brought his Excaliburs around to intercept. But his reactions had been slow. Tendrils of blood were cut clean as he misdirected his retaliation. Excaliburs fell to the ground and laid there. She would not give him the chance to have them explode as Serene launched a fury of blows his way. His actions were hindered by the pain of whatever it was that Asia had done to him.

His mutilated hand was decaying. And the ailment was beginning to spread up his arm.

He snarled and gnashed his teeth like a rabid animal forced into a corner. His attacks became relentless as they hacked in every direction without aim. Serene found herself taking blows, her limbs lopping off and body pierced. Creyroux continued to drink in the sin of harm, rejuvenating her body back to its peak condition. But they still slowed her down.

Akeno had been able to retrieve Asia. The Fourth had seen her and tried to lash out at her but Serene intercepted his strikes. Second, Rias fired volleys of black orbs his way. They splashed onto his swords and his body with rupturing devastation. His wounds healed but nowhere near as instantaneous as they once had been. Her Power of Destruction continued to eat away at his flesh until the radiance of the Excaliburs had them removed. But they did enough damage; while they could not harm him they did more than enough to slow his assault.

Excaliburs shattered as Serene's sword overpowered their light with its taint. The gathered sin from her wounds as well as those behind her was now more than enough to penetrate the holy shields. And with each Excalibur rid of did their collective power dwindle.

"Fuck this shit!" snarled the Fourth once more. His hand grabbed onto his bicep and dug razor nails close in resemblance to claws into the meat. With another bellow, he tore off the arm from the wound he inflicted upon himself. Blood and sinew spat everywhere and stained his white robes further.

But it had stopped the decay from spreading. His smile returned; the pain was no longer a burden he would have to bear.

Thunderous explosions surrounded them. The cathedral shook as the walls and ceiling came tumbling down on top of them. No one knew what triggered it.

As stone and plaster came raining down on them, pelting them with heavy blows, the roar of a dragon could be heard.

*Scene*

Issei lowered himself to the top of the rubble. In his right arm was Irina, who held to him as though he were some knight in shining armor… even proclaiming him such in her cheeky perkiness despite the grim situation. In his left was that damn handsome, who hung limply but Issei knew was still breathing. And on his back was Koneko, who he knew could have survived the collapse of the entire building without any problems.

He had managed to save everyone just in the nick of time. He flew through the air, first saving Asia and Akeno simultaneously, then Rias, and then these three. The Gift of Flight did not propel him in any direction, merely shifted him through Space itself. The sudden grabbing and shifting of directions didn't harm them in any way as it was more like they were in perpetual open air while the entirety of the universe moved around them. Issei could never hope to pretend to understand how the Gift worked and never once questioned it. It always got the job done.

He would be a liar if he said he wasn't fuming. But that ire was covered in a sensation of relief. His loved ones were unharmed… or at least in fair enough condition capable of recovery. And now that he was in their fray he could stand up against their opposition and protect them.

The Gremory Peerage were huddled at the top of the highest peak of rubble. Down below, Rolan had protected Xenovia through an invisible shield. Any rubble falling on top of him simply disintegrated, leaving him in a pristine two yard radius. Spread out five meters away from both groups was Ludwig and his entourage. The Knights of the Round had circuit board lines glowing neon on their skintight uniform and gradually growing dim. Issei assumed those suits had protected them. And the Dragon Slayer sat on top of a pile of rocks, looking his true age as he dabbled a napkin on a perspired brow.

He and Rolan were looking at another, almost glaring.

Close to the center of it all, Serene and Virtue were standing at edge. Their eyes never looked away. She was irked by his presence. He was raging.

"I should have destroyed your body…" he muttered lowly under his breath. The runes on the sleeves of his suit began to shimmer.

Serene said nothing.

"You're supposed to be in China," announced Rolan to Ludwig. There was a hint of fear in his voice. As though the presence of the Dragon Slayer jeopardized his very existence.

Ludwig von Siegfried lifted his head and returned in a weary tone, "And you were supposed to be in Egypt. I trust the Hero Faction has been dealt with if you're here?"

Rolan didn't answer. His head was snapping around, looking from Ludwig to Serene to Issei and then to an empty space in the furthest corner. His dark complexion was turning pale as the seconds ticked by. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit. _There are six of us here! Ludwig, do you remember the last time more than half of us were in one secluded location? Not in the same country but in the same fucking city?!"

Ludwig's gaze turned stony and cold. Calculating even. "…The World needed us for—"

Rock and wood erupted from where Serene and Virtue were standing. A figure rose out of the ground, bloodied in amounts that should have killed a normal man. The fat priest from earlier climbed out of the wreckage. His face was a ruined mess twice as much as his body. It looked almost as though it were ready to fall off…

"Issei!" Rias called out in great distress. He already knew what she was going to say. "He's the Fourth!"

"And to think, _you're _the brains of the group!" the Fourth laughed with heavy sarcasm. He didn't truly laugh— it was more like he pronounced every syllable of laughter expressed in written text. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, HA!"

He tore the wrinkling face off and tossed it to the side. The visage of the fake priest vanished as his true form was revealed. Tall, at least seven feet, full of blubber with tree trunk limbs and sausage fingers, and a grotesque smile that consumed two-thirds of his face and had too many teeth to count. His eyes were like marbled tiles of blood red and abyssal black.

Issei immediately noticed the missing right arm. It was strange to him. Usually the Fourth would recover from any wound. Was he going to pull something out when they all thought he couldn't use the limb or did he truly lose it? He wondered if Serene had done something to him that had been irreversible.

"You hurt my friends," Issei began in a cold voice that even took him aback. It was only an instant. The coldness felt… welcoming. Even in this barrier where the World and its rage could no longer reach him did he still feel the need for vengeance. It was a part of him, he realized. A need he must replenish and only capable of doing that by killing the bane of his existence.

He stepped down the rubble, his power coursing through the air. Rocks and what remained of the cathedral began to crack by the pressure. Those he wanted to protect were invigorated with renewed vitality while his enemy, the Fourth, was being oppressed as though a great weight was pushed onto his shoulders. Unfortunately, the Vampire's smile grew as he remained standing tall. He was unaffected by Issei's draconian prowess.

"My parents, Ayame, and now Kiba? Haven't you done enough?" he continued. His rage rising and with it his power. His skin became scales, his fangs growing just as sharp as the Fourth's, and his eyes glowed so brightly they were stars of their own. He could feel hot magmatic pressure course through his veins, ready to burst through his body. His vessel wasn't strong enough to hold it back. Raw draconian flickers of destruction surged into the physical world, arching like flares of a sun around his body.

"Ooo~" sang the Fourth as he conjured another Excalibur into his off-hand. "That anger. So powerful! Good, good! It gives you focus, makes you _stronger_! My, have you finally grown a pair since last we met? Or should I say, since the last time you thought I had left?"

There was something challenging in that smile next. A tease, if anything. He wanted Issei to call him out on it, to question him. He wanted to share the meaning behind those words.

Issei's reply was to let out a roar. An earthshattering roar that sent a shockwave into the air. Dust and rock flew everywhere, breaking down walls and splintering wood. His body shifted. From the Scale Mail armor did it shift. A pair of metallic wings sprouted out of his back and another set of arms. Spikes protruded down the spine of his back and jutted out of his joints. His helm shifted, growing a snout and fangs as both flesh and metal melded into one.

This time, his power was truly like a sun. Those at his back felt themselves capable of taking on the likes of the Fourth Predator. And the Vampire's fat skin began to ripple as waves of pure unadulterated **power **bombarded him.

He raised Excalibur in defiance, his smile never fading but instead grew from the excitement.

The blade flew out of his hand, swerved around Issei, and implanted itself at the feet of the Devils.

Right in front of where Issei had lowered Yuuto. The blade wobbled until its hilt rested on his shoulder, almost in a protective gesture as though the sword were alive.

The Fourth's hands twitched in a gesture he would use to conjure more blades. But nothing happened. The smile began to fade. He looked at Rolan in a quizzical, almost stupefied expression.

Rolan looked to be just as confused as he was.

"Well," the Fourth sighed, but then his smile returned. He shrugged as a playful tone inked his voice. "Time for Plan C. Fuck B. B wasn't going to work anyways."

Limbs shot out of the ground. Heads, hands, arms, legs, wings, whole torsos and meshes of organs. Blood slithered out of the cracks of the ground. The remains of the Fallen Issei had slain lifted out of the ground and conjugated to the center of the cathedral. There was no system or pattern to their formation. It was just a giant mesh of blood and meat.

Then, a mouth began to form from the red gunk. Teeth made of bones— of skulls, limbs, ribcages, spine disks, of any kind on the human body— protruded from the mouth. Flesh melded together, knitted until a singular skin was patched together. The creature began to stir and form limbs of its own— a set of four arms and six hind legs. Its back was like a horse and its head like a giant human head twice the size of its body.

The creature did not make a sound as it rose to its feet. It was three times as tall as Issei. And he didn't doubt it was going to be a bitch of a thing to kill if it had been created through the Fourth's blood tributes.

The Fourth cackled as the shadows began to dance around him.

He was attempting to flee!

Issei roared and fired a draconian shot straight from his mouth. The crimson energy scorched everything it crossed, including the very space itself. A vacuum was created from the burst. The beam consumed the beast entirely and struck at the Fourth all in one blow.

It also sent those behind him tumbling down the slope. He hadn't meant to harm them but he had hoped to obliterate the Fourth in the one shot.

It hadn't worked, naturally. The Vampire was impossible to kill, as it always seemed to be.

"Urk!" grunted the Fourth as he flexed himself back into reality. Literally. In one instance he was nonexistent and in the next his body was spawned with his chest thrust out and arms flexing. Though, noticeably, the lower half of his right arm was still missing.

His construct did much the same. Albeit its reanimation was much slower. The Fourth's had been instantaneous, as fast as a blink, while the construct of Fallen intestines needed to painstakingly regenerate each molecular cell at a time. It could not be dismissed that it would be back in its prime, however.

"Master Hyoudou!" called Ludwig as he stepped forward. He walked with a limp as he switched the grip of his cane around, the tip raised towards the bloodied creature. His glare was hard. "We shall make game of this creature."

Issei immediately understood what Ludwig was implying. But still…

"Serene!" he called out to his Queen. He could feel their connection despite lacking a King Piece. The Queen Piece within her stirred at his command. She looked his way. "Get the others out of here."

She nodded, her brows creased in understanding the seriousness of the situation.

"Issei! We're not leaving you!" Rias argued.

He didn't have time to give his reasons. He didn't want her hear. He didn't want her to see him like this. This would be nothing like the Rating Game against Raizer Phenex. There, Issei had only let a glimpse of his carnal madness out. The primal feeling of the beast within him had been revealed but heavily chained. Now he had no intentions of holding back. He wouldn't hold back. He _couldn't _hold back.

He didn't want anyone not able to keep up with him to be exposed to the level of destruction he was about to unleash.

"Fine…" Rias bowed her head. She understood the situation as though capable of reading his thoughts. "But I'm giving you a command, Ise. Win. If you cannot kill him then make him bleed enough to where he won't ever be able to come back again. Your King so commands!"

Everyone watched as Hyoudou Issei lifted his head and roared out towards the heavens. The cosmic powers fueled by the Juggernaut Drive made his body visibly shake from the intense vibrations.

"Yes, Buchou!" he roared out.

And then launched himself at the Fourth, knocking the fat bastard out of his portal of shadows. The world shook on the impact as the two titans began their clash to the death.

Only one would survive.


	18. Predator Hyoudou

**A note from the author!**

**Helloooooooo everyone! I would like to thank you all for reading yet another chapter of EtD! I had too much fun writing this. And I know for sure you're all super excited about the conclusion of this arc. I sure as hell was. I mean, I posted the chapter under a few days.**

**First, I would like to advertise something. I was once again on another podcast of Fandom Flux. The link will be on my profile as soon as I post this chapter and hope you all check it out.**

**Next, don't be alarmed by the end of the story and its author notes. Not that I'm going to say anything right now but...**

**ON WITH THE SHOW!**

* * *

A storm had spawned without warning. It had simply appeared over the city of Kuoh and reached beyond the horizon in every direction. Dark clouds coated the city in a darkness that dimmed their florescent lights. The citizens enjoying their Friday evenings looked up in the sky and were baffled by its immediate arrival. The air had been warm and soothing as summer was approaching but then suddenly cold and electrifying.

The clouds above were flashing streaks of crimson lightning. It was an impossible phenomenon that petrified everyone. They could only gape at the wonder in awe and confusion. In the presence of something so foreign they didn't know how to react.

The wind came next. Roaring winds that rattled the windows of every building. Winds fierce enough to make the people flinch while others lost their balance from the sudden shift. Kuoh was a city too far away from the coast to worry about tsunamis and thus the people knew little on how to react. This was not something they were to be prepared for.

Thunder exploded and lit up the dark night. It was not natural lightning with not only how it dyed the world crimson but the sound alone was akin to a hammer slamming onto the surface of an anvil. The clank was unmistakably metal on metal.

The roar of the wind was _not _from wind. It was the shockwaves produced from the roar of a creature. The acoustics of a beast that should not among the mundane populace reached the ears of the citizens. It was a howl of a damned, the cry of vengeance, the wail of a blasphemous existence that went against the very core of human life.

The noise only continued to grow and the lightning flared brighter. The people began to panic, began to flee for shelter without any coordination. They could not understand what was happening and only desired to be away from the outside world. If they could hide in their metal and stone buildings, if they could find a means to block the sight of the sky from their eyes, they dove to and fro in chaos.

Red watched as these humans ran amok like ants at the first sign of rain. He did not fear the storm. It was like music to him. Music he did not like and wanted to shoot the man who put it on, but music still.

His red eyes looked up, pierced through the clouds, and gazed upon the two humanoid figures clashing. The drive for battle was there, flowing through his veins. But if he joined he knew there wouldn't be any fun.

_This _was his opposition? _This _was the World's greatest fighting force? _This _was the enemy both Nothing and Sinner had warned him about?

The Dra'cueri King snorted.

He came because he had been drawn by their gathering. Seven of the World's defenders were gathered in this city, six of them all in the same spot. The Eighth, Nothing had told him, was on her way towards Japan… flying in the exact opposite direction but would _eventually _arrive.

He had hoped seven of them would be enough to give him something of a challenge. A little warmup before he clashed with the Triangular Beast. But all he found was… disappointment. Four of them had his Gifts and he would have permitted them to be used in the battle against him. And he had the briefest of understanding of all their abilities, of their secrets, and how some of them could draw on the miasma of the Abyss. Red even thought about giving them a small taste of his power, a temporary boost to their potential, just to make things a little more interesting.

Red wouldn't bother. He didn't understand why Sinner had praised these _children _while Nothing had spoken highly of the Black Sun and Potential. The Black Sun no longer even possessed the Abyssal entity that had made him the Black Sun in the first place. And Potential…

Red looked at the streak of crimson and cosmic-streaked colors in the heavens. The Welsh Dragon continued his brawl against the incarnation of Heaven and Earth.

…Potential, the first-half of the Original Chaos, was still asleep. His vessel was only drawing on the surface of his authority. Shaving ice off an igloo, so to speak, when he should be excavating the treasure frozen at its center. The vessel's… what did this planet call them… Sacred Gear only used the illusion Potential had created in order to exist in this dimension— that of the Great Welsh expressed through the legends of humanity.

Red thought for a moment what would happen if he forced Potential to awaken. The vessel would grow in a measurement capable of pushing Red. But it would be a short thing— but barely a flash of light before the vessel would die. That was what would happen if Red forcefully finished the fusion between vessel and Primordial Law.

In the end, in this cramped, sweaty, _limited _human shell, Red squatted at the edge of an air conditioning conductor at the rooftops of the tallest building. He decided to watch. Not because he found any of this entertaining but only because it was time consuming. If he jumped in and fought all of these Predators together the brawl would be short and unsatisfying. And if he left then he would be bored with nothing else to do.

He could always go get hammered at some bar. It was a tempting idea. He had more fun getting into brawls with the local drunkards than to fight seriously against this planet's finest.

A streak of lighting came his way just as several others had rained down from the sky. The strays tore their surroundings apart more like beams of energy rather than actual lightning. Everything was devastated in its touch.

Red did not flinch. He did not even blink. The crimson lightning struck him square in the chest and he had not moved from his sitting position. He hadn't even felt it.

He swore anyways. The word made the World quiver as a single syllable had more power and authority than the gathered nexus of the World itself. He swore because, while _he _was more than durable to withstand an attack on par to the nova that created the universe itself, his clothes were not.

His red leather jacket and the band t-shirt was obliterated.

It was his own fault for not dodging. He could have even redirected the lightning elsewhere with but a thought. But he took it instead, not even giving it a second thought until he realized it scorched his clothes.

Faster than a blink, faster than the World could even register the process, his clothes were back in mint condition.

It took no effort whatsoever. But it was still annoying. He liked his things and got upset whenever someone so much as touched them.

He scowled at the sky, daring the lightning to come down again and to see what would happen.

And, as he knew it would, the storm listened. Lightning that escaped arched back into their clouds in loops, as though the weather phenomenon was too frightened for even an accidental surge to escape. As it should be.

The Dra'cueri King went back to watching the events of the Predators. He huffed once more in boredom as he slouched with his arms propped onto his knees.

*Scene*

While the Fourth and Eighth Predators fought, Rolan remained where he had stood watching the charade around him. Watching, but not truly paying much attention other than to keep his defenses up. Ludwig and his Knights were fighting against the Fourth's blood demon; the Dragon Slayer had been able to disintegrate the creature a number of times but it would always come back momentarily. Nothing save his [BALMUNG] could truly rid it and the Dragon Slayer was more than likely not willing to use it under these conditions.

The creature also wouldn't allow the Gremory peerage to escape no matter how hard Serene fought to fend it off. The construct of Fallen blood and flesh was always shifting. It would be a centaur in the beginning, then a basilisk the next, some scorpion/bird creature following after, and then a cougar. Always it was a dark reflection of the animal it was supposed to be. Horns, blades, extra limbs, wings, multiple heads or multiple mouths (sometimes both), and appendages made out of weaponized bones. No matter what sin Serene inflicted on it— be it Plague or Death— it would always resurrect.

The Devils weren't given the chance to escape. Until they could escape the Fourth's barrier could they teleport to safety. And the blood demon was faster than the visible eye, more than capable of challenging the numerous warriors trying to slay it. It was becoming a battle of attrition at this point.

Rolan noted all of this but didn't care much. The creature was ignoring him and would probably attack him if he got involved. But then again, if he got involved he could just burn the creature so thoroughly it _wouldn't _resurrect.

His mind was elsewhere. Some of the other Predators were familiar with the Laws of the World while the rest dismissed him as mad— Serene accepted his _theories _while Ludwig scoffed at the idea. Predators such as Philips had a firsthand experience with how the World worked, the Fourth always let on he knew what was going on but never elaborated how much, and Li Qin had a blood-fucking _Original _to tell her everything. Rolan didn't know how much Archibald knew and Issei… Issei was just clueless in general.

But Rolan knew the most out of all his affiliates because he was the only one who dug into the secrets of the World, always looking for a way to break free from the Abyss. He knew how the World worked— he knew Original Laws, Primordial Laws that explained the Originals' further, and then the _Rules _made by the Ruler of _this_ World. He knew everything about the Predator system, about its strengths and flaws, and about how that annoying Khaos Brigade had been able to avoid their detection.

To the point, he knew how and why the World would call Predators into action whenever a planet-threatening crisis was about to happen.

There were six Predators gathered in one location. He was sure they all had their reasons to be here and would argue they were here by their own merits, but Rolan knew better. The World had concocted this gathering in the most subtle of ways every Predator would think it was entirely coincidental. They were all here _by chance!_

Nothing was ever so simple.

The one time this had happened… Rolan had faked Serene's death and brought her back to America. The Church had hired him to escort her and another Living Saint while they were on some pilgrimage through Israel. Shit had hit the fan, as it always did, and both Living Saints were declared dead. He lost out on the contract but he got what he wanted regardless. Serene lived with him for six months after that until the Church found out she was still alive and dragged her back.

It was also around that time he was in a constant battle against Philips. The Fifth was assassinating Acolytes all across the globe and was focusing most of his attention on Rolan. Thus, he was always in America. There wasn't much else in that story.

Ludwig had come to America for political reasons. It was around the time Princess Elizabeth was still a young brat with a rebellious streak. She was looking for a Knight of Honor and figured nothing could be a bigger slap to her mother's face than to bring home an American. Ludwig had been there as her escort but mostly there to convince her to choose someone loyal to the homeland.

When they were all gathered, a creature of the Abyss had snuck in. It was a Lingering Residue— a virus from the previous world the Ruler had overwritten and had refused to be erased from existence. Its presence alone caused reality to implode.

Philips' [Twilight] Blades wounded it, Ludwig's [BALMUNG] cut deep into its nonexistent flesh, Serene's _Dolorous Stroke _ruptured its heart… but it refused to fade away.

Rolan knew Guardians would arrive if the problem didn't go away soon enough. _Nothing _good happens when Guardians get involved. He had no choice. He embraced the Abyss, just a fragment of time, and fought against the Lingering Residue.

Lingering Residue fought against Lingering Residue. Two aspects of the old world collided. The prolonged exposure to these two glitches made the World realize something was wrong and ejected them both. In the Dimensional Gap, in the space between spaces where the territory was Lawless, he had been able to kill it.

Finding his way home was an entirely different problem. It took him a year and another misadventure thanks to his inglorious luck. Apparently reverse engineering the ejection process doesn't send one back the way they came. He found himself instead in the Mystic Realms just on the outskirts of the Furthest Future— which was right at the edge of The End of All. And that was how he became King _Fucking _Oberon.

It still hurt his head to this day.

And the last time such a gathering of Predators had happened… all seven of them had been there. And Adams McCain unleashed his Project Ziz— an Anti-Predator construct that nearly killed all of them. More than half of them _did _die— Ludwig, Serene, Philips, Archibald, and Li Qin. Even Rolan, who had embraced the Abyss once again, had regained a single use of the Black Sun for the final confrontation, and had the powers of the Original Sun, and had been able to make them work through the Law of Synthesis despite their contradictory properties… even he had scarcely survived that _thing._

That is not to say he hadn't dealt with Adams McCain. The man was still alive and could make another creature like that. He even slipped in passing he was in the process of mass producing them.

In the end, Rolan had been backed into a corner he hadn't felt since he was fourteen— back when the world was against him, trying to hunt him down like he was some rabid animal and not a human being, and the Tactical Hunters had been created to hunt Acolytes. McCain was deathless, the closest thing to an Everlasting and probably was in actuality. Rolan had used all his cards to destroy his creation only to find the final boss was just as impossibly hard to kill.

He was helpless. Powerless. Desperate and without fangs this time to intimidate or even protect himself. The Abyss whispered to his ear once more, offering him a sweet deal that would make anyone's mouth water. It didn't help that it came in the form of Snow, the greatest love of his life he had been forced to kill and marked him as the Black Sun.

The cost was True Love. And to create that would mean to Betray. _Again— _to Betray _AGAIN! _He would have to turn his back on the World, on himself, and on the one he loved the most.

He sacrificed his daughter, in the end.

Adams McCain was defeated. All those who had died had come back. Even his daughter, who he embraced and shed tears and begged for forgiveness. It was a heartwarming ending, one only found in fairy tales. At least, it should have been.

The Abyss had laughed at him. It gave him these things back in mockery to his feebleness, for his naivety, and for his incompetence. The Abyss had already claimed him when he became the Black Sun all those years ago. It never needed to make another bargain with him when it owned him in every sense. But it did need something from him and something only he could do.

He had opened a door.

Rolan had started the Evensong.

It was as though recalling this memory he had stirred something right this moment. Nothing had really called to him but he answered this silent alarm.

He blinked, a very slow and tired blink that belonged to an aged man rather than the mid-twenties child he was pretending to be. Those red and blue orbs shifted up towards the sky. And there, on the tallest tower where the bells hung, sat the reason why so many Predators had been gathered. Nothing had told him to look that way. His attention was naturally drawn towards it like some sort of gravitational pull.

His heart ached at the sight of her. How long had it been since he had seen her? Since his time in Ilyvander, he believed, back when there was a real Sun in the sky. She was a dear friend and always would be, someone he would respect and could admit without shame to love as well… only now was she an enemy. And it hurt.

She sat at the edge of the tower, her legs swinging like the child she was supposed to be. She was, without a reason of doubt, a full-blooded Dra'cueri— a Dragon Lord. And the Dra'cueri aged backwards, to be born old and to grow younger as the eons pass. It spoke tremendously to her power, experience, and gravitas when she looked no older than ten.

Long black hair, snow-white skin, timeless silver eyes with diamond pupils staring distantly into the open sky, and a gothic dark dress of mourning.

"Hello, Chase," she said so quietly it couldn't have been heard. But, either through some secret authority or the power she had over the World, he had heard. She didn't look at him. She only greeted him as soon as he had noticed her.

He remembered the courtesies as easily as breathing. His hands were spread but lowered at his hips, fingers spread. When he bowed, he slightly raised his arms liken to a dragon spreading its wings. It was a Dra'cueri show of respect. One she had personally drilled into him after one of her… games.

He suppressed a shiver.

"A good evening to you, Your Majesty Ophis," he returned in a tone as though she were mere paces away from him. But he knew she would be able to hear him just as clearly as he could with her.

The World had every reason to bring Predators together just for her. She was an Ultimate-class Primordial creature bearing the Law of [Nothing]. Her power was limitless, infinite, and so abstract nothing (in the literal and figurative sense) could touch her. She was also the former Dra'cueri Queen before Great Red had come along and did not so much as challenge her as he simply booted her off her throne for simply being in his way.

Ophis had the power to destroy Project Ziz. While she could not kill Adams McCain, she could have at least ejected him to the Outside. Rolan had pleaded with her those years ago for help, but she had never answered his call. Ophis only did things that interested her.

Her primary focus was killing Great Red and returning to the Dimensional Gap as well as reclaiming her crown. It was only recently did she appear in this world, as soon as she noticed the door Rolan had opened. The Triangular Beast was starting to stir centuries before its seals would allow it to and she was doing her best to hasten its awakening. She would have it battle Great Red. It mattered not if Great Red killed it or Trihexa killed him; the crown would go to her by default anyways as the greatest of Primordial creatures. And if Great Red had survived the aspect of the Abyss somehow, she would kill him while he was weakened.

She didn't care in the slightest if the battle, let alone the exposure of Trihexa in the existing world, would destroy everything. The logic behind a conceptual being older than creation itself was beyond understanding.

Ophis continued to stare out into the open sky. It was only then did he realize she wasn't just gazing into the great cosmos beyond the atmosphere or into another dimension. She was focused on the materialistic world, on this planet at that.

Her eyes made the smallest of flickers. She was tracing the battle between the Fourth and Eighth Predators.

"You have raised a good champion," she commented.

He decided the space between them was too big. It was an amusing thought— usually it was the other way around when near beings beyond his measure. But it was _Ophis. _She could probably kill him even if he was on the other side of the universe.

He walked through the battle, phasing through Ludwig, Serene, through the Gremory peerage, through the blood demon, and through the blasts of magic, sins, miracles, and what else going around. It was all background happenstance as Ophis' mysteries kept him in a plane of existence only the two of them shared. She wouldn't reveal herself to him unless she wanted to share something with him.

In the next instance, he was lowering himself to sit beside her. His legs dangled over the edge as he leaned his shoulder against the support beam.

He blinked. His scowl became one of extreme confusion. He could have sworn she was wearing a gothic Lolita dress.

But when he finished adjusting his seating, he found she was wearing something else entirely. She was wearing a red hoodie with gold and green embroidery. He recognized it instantly as the limited edition Red Blur hoodie that had only been sold in a certain theme park in London. And Ophis, quite possibly the second most powerful being in the entire goddamn omniverse, was wearing it.

She was also clutching a small rolled up poster and a permanent marker resting on her lap.

…She was waiting anxiously for an… autograph?

The logic of a being older than creation itself… indeed…

It hit him harder than her being here and the World seeing her as an ultimate threat. That— _holy shit— _Ophis, the former Dra'cueri Queen, was a _fan _of the Red Blur.

"Why… Why are you here?" he found himself asking. It felt like he was sinking to the bottom of the ocean or falling without a chute. There was no control. Nothing he could do as nothing was making sense to him anymore. The bullshit of today he could deal with. But Ophis? Now that was way out of the ballpark.

Her tone was dismissive, passive, distant as though he were a minor distraction. As though he were a child she needed to hush quickly and quietly in order to enjoy a movie… which wasn't far from the truth.

"I came to see him."

"…Is that all?"

He expected irritation when her eyes moved away from the battle over the horizon and to look at him. He nearly shrunk away, nearly fled in fear of her. He, a mighty _Predator, _would admit without shame to be terrified of her. She was, after all, something even the Guardians didn't want to touch.

To answer his question, she gestured down towards the ongoing battle below them. With a nimble finger, she pointed first at Ludwig.

Her finger casually lifted upward, liken to the barrel of a gun going off.

She moved then to Serene and repeated the gesture.

Then to where Philips was squatting with his _Radiance of the Sun _still active. She shouldn't be able to see him but still she did. Again, the gesture was made.

Her finger moved then towards the Fourth and Eighth. The gesture was made twice this time.

Towards the city, she pointed, and cocked her finger-gun once again.

To the west, over the hills and he knew, somehow, over the seas. Once again the gun was fired.

Last, she pointed towards him. Right between the eyes. There was no emotion as the finger-gun unleashed its firepower and blew his brains out.

Of course, nothing happened. It was a childish act she was showing him.

But it told him of her intentions: if she wanted to kill them, it would be just as easy as pointing and blasting them into oblivion.

He could only accept her reasons for being here was to see Issei. Without another word she went back to watching the fight between the Dragoon and the Vampire. There was even a childish glint of excitement in her eyes. Not true excitement, as it was impossible for Ophis to understand human concepts and emotions, but an impressive replication.

"He has much… Potential," the smallest of smiles curled her lips as though barely withholding some joke only she knew and wasn't willing to share. "They, all around, flock around him. I, am interested. I, want him. I, will defeat them and make him mine. Do you, Chase, wish to get in my way as well?"

"It's my job to do so anyways," he grunted as he crossed his arms. "I am a defender of the planet, chosen by the World and its Ruler. As is he. Tell you what, you can have him after we stop you."

"…By the Ruler?" her eyes returned towards him. Eyes that shone about a secret she knew. One of _his _secrets. "You, by the Ruler? Yes… I can see that. It is not truth… but not a lie. The Abyss has made you a charmer of words, Chase."

"Why the sudden interest in Hyoudou?" he questioned in hopes to leer the conversation away.

She knew what he was doing but humored him. Besides, something within her lit up at the mentioning of the Dragoon. She found it much more interesting to talk about him instead of Rolan's condition.

"He, has Potential," she said with the same mischievous grin.

_He has Potential. _Rolan felt the word 'potential' had a capital 'P' in it. There was some sort of… authority, for lack of a better word, resonating when she spoke about it. However, he didn't know what to make of it. It could mean anything when it came to such a being that knew secrets mortals would have their heads exploding by simply hearing it. It wasn't a metaphor, either. He had seen it happen before.

"You know not what you've created," she went on. "I, have seen him. I, have met what he will become. I, wait patiently for that arrival. I, saw an instance of it in the Rating Game. I, see it now. But it still slumbers. He, will one day become _Dravirik Lae'cueri._"

This would be the point in time his heart would skip a beat or he would break out into a cold sweat. But his vessel had long been dead, forever in an endless loop of life and death. Between undead and deathless. It didn't suppress his shock, however.

He had made a joke once about this. About how Issei Hyoudou was the closest thing to a _King of Ancients Greater than Man. _He knew Issei was gradually becoming more and more draconian over the years. He had thought it was some side effect from his Sacred Gear. But he should have paid closer attention to the signs. The Gifts were only granted to those who bested a Primordial— the Gift of Flight was a trophy Issei received immediately afterwards unlocking his Sacred Gear. It meant some Primordial being was impersonating Ddraig just as [Terraforming] was impersonating Odin. And Issei had bested this creature. But Rolan didn't know _how._

Now, Ophis was claiming he was becoming a Dra'cueri— a Dragon Lord. And not just some pale imitation; a full-fledge fully incarnate King of Ancients Greater than Man. He was in the process of becoming a creature that hadn't existed since the Primordial age, when the world— _all worlds— _were nothing but magma, rock, and ice.

Rolan began to recalculate the potential firepower in their arsenal if Issei became a Dra'cueri before or during the Evensong. They might have a chance then. He began to search through his mind for any spell, Law, or glitch that might speed up the transformation process. If he could make Issei a Dra'cueri before the Evensong then he could have the boy train to be coordinated with his newfound prowess. And that would improve their chances even further.

Of course, he would have to still follow Sona's promise not to touch Issei or those around him. It would be difficult, aggravating most times, but he believed it could still be done.

But the biggest problem was Ophis. If Issei finished evolving, Ophis would no doubt take him away. They wouldn't just be short one Predator but a major fighting force of power parallel only to another Ultimate-class Primordial. And she wouldn't bat an eye no matter how much anyone might protest.

"You know," he tried something else. A shot in the dark. "You don't have to do all of this. You are still my Queen and always will be. I would have followed you if you gave me the command. You're not willing to let us help you?"

She tilted her head. It meant nothing, really. "I, have thought of that. I, have pondered if you devoured my Snake, and they as well. Nothing would change. Stupid Red is…"

She frowned, a genuine frown of discontent. A very rare expression to an emotionless being born from the concept of nothing.

"Powerful," she chose to say in a sour face. She didn't like the word. She didn't like using human measurements as they were so inaccurate. "He is… my better. I, am infinite. He is greater than infinite. I, require something greater than I. You, Black Sun, have given me that."

Hence, Trihexa.

It was not something she could go seeking his help for. He was a Predator, a natural defender of the planet. He as well as his seven compatriots would oppose her. She knew this and sought instead to seek help in other ways. Rolan didn't know what it was she had promised to the various factions, groups, guilds, and gathering of mooks but it had gotten them to band together. The Khaos Brigade had been her creation. And each group went around the world inducting acts of terrorism.

He wondered if they really knew what they were doing. Did they know they were undoing seals for a creature whose presence alone could make the fabrics of reality crumble apart? More than likely not. They were all looking for ways to make themselves stronger. One group seeking ways into the Dimensional Gap and looking for a weakness in Great Red, another to usurp the current Satans in the Underworld, and another looking for a way to Travel to another World. Ophis could probably fulfill most of their wishes on her own but was instead having them run around without a clue.

Rolan would have had twenty-five years to prepare for the Evensong hadn't Ophis gotten involved. Now, they had roughly a year and growing smaller the more seals were broken.

"I don't want you as my enemy," he said in a tired sigh. And he meant it.

"Nor I, you," she admitted. "I, will miss you."

In the next instance they were no longer together. Rolan was standing in the circle of debris-free stone.

…And Ludwig was _barely _unsheathing Gram while his Knights were activated their armor. Which meant Ophis didn't just teleport him back to his previous spot but also the time in which the Dragoon had just took off. No one noticed anything different about him, not even Philips who no doubt had been keeping an eye on him the entire time.

Still, his eyes looked up. And there sitting, still perched with the rolled up poster in her hands, was Ophis.

She looked down at him, put a single finger to her lips, and gestured him to keep his silence.

…It's not like he could defy her.

*Scene*

This would be the first time he never had to hold back. He had never actually reached his limits before. There was never a need. Every crisis he entered could be solved with a few dramatics here and a fist there. Explosions were optional. The majority of his enemies were mortal, and very squishy like a fruit. He needed to take extreme care when facing against them. And the supernatural things he fought against were only slightly sturdier. While some he had been pushed against and some had managed to wound him pretty deeply, he had never unleashed his all onto a single target before.

Now, he was giving his everything into every attack. Each punch was creating a shockwave and great gusts of wind from the speed and impact. Each collision was explosive that shook deeper than his bones, reaching down into his core. The pressure he was omitting through his Juggernaut Drive was creating a storm around them. This amount of power being executed was changing their territory after every strike.

"DRAGON SHOT!" Issei roared as he brought two right arms against the Fourth. Orbs of draconian energy rested against his knuckles. Upon impact, a spray of twin beams incinerated everything it touched including the space itself. Another vacuum was made to seal off the void he had created and thus shifting the elements around them further.

A storm was brewing from their fight.

And in a flash, the Fourth was as healthy as can possibly be. His razor smile could be seen through the red sheen of the draconian blast.

There was a glint of black darker than the night's sky.

The black blade that hadn't been there before swiped at Issei far too fast to be physically possible. He dodged it though not completely. It sliced off the surface of his armor almost as easily as if the draconian metal had been made out of sand. Already, as the slash was finishing its arch and his armor was repairing and gaining a resistance, they were going at it again for the next round of confrontations.

Red and black metal clashed. Armor and flesh were scattered everywhere as thunderous concussions were exchanged. Some blows were landed from both, sending them flying from the titanic levels of strength from the both of them. Issei wielded the strength to move the planet if he so chose while the Fourth had the strength of the planet itself.

Their battle had moved them away from the cathedral a while ago. Issei saw only a flash of their surroundings but paid little mind to them. They had been in a valley of hills, then a forest of some sort, then in open fields of grassland, then farmlands, and then dangerously close to the city.

Issei roared, channeling the powers of the cosmos through his veins further and heightening his powers. Weakened and sore muscles were invigorated with strength again as his stamina was restored. His prowess was escalating further, this time calling down crimson lightning from the skies at every second. His presence was changing the world around him as more and more power was unleashed.

But he was getting irritated by his lack of progress. No matter how many times he pummeled his opponent, the Fourth would always spring back. No matter how many times he obliterated his body down to the smallest microscopic level, leaving _nothing _left, the Vampire would be there again. No matter how much power Issei channeled through his body it seemed to be never enough.

He continued to draw on the cosmos, though. He was determined to find that level of energy required to be rid of the Vampire once and for all.

By this point, merely a minute and a half into their battle, each punch was no longer creating earthquakes. Each impact was rupturing the earth around them in colossal craters. Each Dragon Shot was creating beams dark yet blinding as an inverse sun. The storm above their heads was growing fiercer.

Still, Issei climbed. Another ear-shattering roar escaped his jaw. The gems in his armor blazed like stars as his armor glistened despite the darkness. Vegetation around them increased hue in color, withered rapidly into browns and grays, and then were reinvigorated; the cycle repeated itself over and over.

A kick sent the Fourth flying. It should have split his body in two but he took the impact as though the blubber in his stomach could absorb most of the blow. Issei followed immediately; his Gift of Flight sending him directly at him at a speed transcendently faster than any he had gone before. If he could only focus on the Fourth and ignore the world around him then he could go faster than even the speed of light.

The next blow knocked the Fourth down into the earth. A great explosion shook their environment, creating a cloud of dirt that reached higher than the tallest skyscraper. The field around them was wiped away.

Issei moved, unperturbed by the dirt clouding his vision. He only needed the instincts as a Predator to move himself forward.

They fought further blindly, only using their instincts of every kind against the other. Their natural instincts to survive, the Fourth's connection to the physical world, Issei's draconian instincts of animalistic behavior, and then their Predator's instincts that warned them of another's intentions almost on par to foresight.

In every stretch, Issei was faster and stronger than the Fourth. The Vampire was using some sort of innate energy source within his body to keep up with Issei but he was reduced to nothing but being on the defensive. Moves that were far too fast for a human to use else have themselves ruined were no longer enough. Issei was the superior being. He was the greater of the two in every physical way.

He proved it by grabbing the Vampire by his shoulders and drag him across the floor. They were several meters underground and Issei continued to drag him through the earth, using the Vampire's body as a sort of spear before needing oxygen and shot up towards the surface. He found himself not just breaking through earth but also ocean. That lone act had sent them speeding across several kilometers in just a few seconds.

Still, Issei continued to draw on the energies of the universe. His Juggernaut Drive continued to increase his power, transcending him further beyond the powers of even a god. The waters hundreds of meters below him parted and began to cyclone around him. The clouds above turned a dark crimson as lightning arched liken to the flares of a sun.

He raised his hands above his head. A small red orb gathered between his palms. Such power flourished in this orb, great enough to destroy a small town.

He frowned beneath his helm. It wasn't enough.

It doubled in size, in intensity, and in density. This time it could destroy a major city and several miles around it. It doubled again; this time capable of destroying a good ten percent of Japan. He doubled it again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Issei roared as the orb grew to the size of a large house. It was brimming with such levels of destruction even his armor was beginning to crack by its pressure. It even had its own gravitational field as he felt his flesh underneath being pulled towards its center. The world around him was starting to implode around this orb of power. It was even warping reality as everything around him looked to be stretched.

He flung it not at the Fourth, but towards the horizon and away from land.

The Fourth, who had been standing at the bottom of the ocean as the water cycled around the two of them, nearly lost his smile. He looked confused. He had expected to have the orb thrown at him and had been prepared to counter it. Instead, Issei had simply tossed it away.

Issei fired down like a falling star without warning. But the Fourth had been prepared. He raised his blade to impale the Dragoon and only succeeded in taking a large chunk of the armor at his shoulder. No blood was shed and Issei made a point to avoid having that black blade drink his blood at all costs. Their collision made another explosion.

They were moving once again, this time Issei sending him flying through the cycling water. He would have been washed away with his flesh being ripped apart by the torrents hadn't Issei already been in front of him in another clash. The Dragoon brought his fists around, making the water explode with each thrust or boil from a Dragon Shot. The Fourth was reduced to nothing more than a punching back as they traveled further into the deeper reaches of the ocean.

Still, Issei increased his power. And the Fourth continued to smile.

He slammed the Vampire through a reef cove and continued to bash him through a canyon of underwater valleys. It would have been underwater if Issei's fists weren't creating such massive explosions to split the water. Once again, he grabbed onto the Fourth's body and dragged him across the ground before shooting up back to the surface.

He made another orb, made it just as large and as destructive as the last, and tossed it due east.

There was beginning to be a strain on his body. He roared, drinking in more energy from the cosmos through his Sacred Gear, and the fatigue was pushed aside. He was invigorated with power once again and continued to climb higher.

His wings fluttered as he threw himself once again at the Fourth. The Vampire was ready this time. He spun his sword around in blinding strokes, weaving a net of blood running from the edge of his sword. In response, Issei opened his jawls and unleashed a breath of draconian flames. They devoured the blood net trying to snare him and continued to scorch the flesh of the Fourth.

Their exchanged continued once more. Fists and sword were met, their surroundings shifting and changing after each blow. Issei dragged him further out of the main land as far and as fast as he could.

This time, when he resurfaced above water, he brought the Fourth up with him.

"Oh, I see what you did there," cackled the Fourth as he realized where he was at.

Coming from the west was one giant orb and from the east was the other. They were in a perfect path to collide with another and the Predators were between them.

The Fourth wouldn't allow the Eighth to deliver such a blow. He bared his fangs, his neck stretching out, and he snapped at the collar of the Dragoon's armor, where there was a gap in the metalwork.

He meant to only tear a chunk large enough to have the draconian Devil reel in pain just enough to loosen his grip. But the Dragoon did no such thing. If anything, his grip on him tightened as all four arms embraced him in a bear hug and his metallic wings wrapped over his shoulders. Only his Gift of Flight kept them up in the air.

The Fourth realized he wasn't going to get out of this one.

When the two spheres hit, the shockwave could have been felt in every direction on every continent connected over the Pacific Ocean. The western corner of the planet was bathed in red. A magnanimous heat scorched the surface of the planet and pierced through the heavens. The world shook as all reality warped.

Then, there was peace.

Issei hung in the open air. The wings that made up his Gift of Flight were glowing dim, sometimes blinking in and out. His armor was no longer shining and the gems had lost their luster. It looked as though they had been sanded down and then soaked in acid. Chunks began to fall apart, chip by chip.

The skin underneath was no better. It was pinkish and raw, having been eaten away by his own attack. It was only because the destructive energy had come from within his body had he a massive resistance to it. But it did not protect him completely. He couldn't imagine what it would have felt like if it had been a foreign attack of parallel power.

There was a sort of void where he was floating. There was no air. There were no clouds. The water below was gone. But as he looked around, he could see the surface of air, the clouds over the horizon, and the waves of water. From where he floated, this was just a dead zone. An invisible line was keeping everything from rushing in.

He growled. With a surge of his will did his armor reform, stronger and more resilient before the blast. The cosmic powers flourished through him once again and rapidly escalated. It only took an instant for him to regain the level of might he had unleashed and it continued to grow from there.

"Is that it?" the voice of the Fourth cackled in the open space. There was no body. All of Issei's instincts save his Predator's perks could not pick up the Vampire's signature. He was gone from existence as every cell in his body had been obliterated… and yet the World still registered him within its system.

It was as though a knife had cut out a human shape out of space itself. The Fourth reappeared as a phantom of void before the shadows of the night filled him. His smile came next with shining teeth crafted out the light of the stars and his eyes of the distant sun. His laughter was the sound of thunder from the heavens mixed in with the crashing of waves, the eruptions of volcanoes, the quaking of the earth, and the roar of the wind. No flesh appeared on his black phantasmal visage.

"I don't know why I had gotten worried," continued the Vampire. He flexed his shadowy hand and watched as how the fingers bent in impossible ways— the right arm that he had been missing. "But then I remember something; it's you I'm dealing with. You're always going to be a disappointment, aren't you?"

The glow from his gems lit up again. His Gift of Flight flared. He was ready for another round of blows and would repeat the process until he gained the power to destroy the Fourth forever. He could climb higher and higher until he reached that level—

Suddenly, it felt like someone had tugged a leash against his neck. There was some sort of wall he had run into and his body jerked at the sudden blocking of cosmic energy. The power he was burning naturally from being in Juggernaut Drive was continuously being refilled but it could not grow any higher.

He had hit his limit. The infinite reserves of the cosmos was there but he had, at last, reached the limit in which how much he could store. He felt his body burning with energy, ready to burst unless he unleashed it all. But it was just right at the edge of bursting. Like a balloon ready to pop if even the smallest breath of air slipped inside.

"What's this?" the Fourth had noticed this as well. "That all? This is as strong as you can get? That sure is impressive… Well, not really. I've seen bigger, but to be fair I'm comparing you to, well, _me._

"Why don't I show you what real power is like?"

The Fourth flexed— flesh and bone formed his body as he reentered the materialistic world. Immediately, he began to drop to the floor. But not before laughing maniacally as both hands reached up to his face…

Issei watched as the Fourth was falling with his back to the ground. Their eyes never left another. That smile never fell from his face.

Something within Issei rattled. He didn't need the World to tell him anything. The primal instinct every living creature was born with had sent alarms in his head as loud as sirens inside his skull.

The Vampire tore off his own face…

…and behind, instead of a skull, was a mask.

The World screamed— a scream as though the system that ran the planet was an actual being fearing for its existence.

Issei, being a Devil and once a hero, would have liked to say he knew about evil. He believed it was always just a point of view. He believed there were wicked men in the world that hadn't a trace of good within them just as there were good people without any vices. Devils were such creatures who fed off the invisible energies of petty sins. Evil was always a debatable topic, and one Issei at some points had to struggle to find an answer for on his own. Politics, religions, and personal morality each had a different opinion to what the concept of evil could be.

But when it came to the Fourth… after revealing his true self to the World… the creature was, undeniable no matter who or what was asked…

Evil.

Darkness blacker than the night sky poured out of him like a mist breathing out of his flesh. His presence alone was erasing color, shape, and order.

The fat was becoming muscle. His body was growing to fill out the proportions, reaching over eight feet tall. His hair grew long and wild, capable of reaching the small of his back but fluttered around in the windless air. And his eyes— _those eyes!— _were nothing but orbs of madness, windows into a grand abyss that led to an endless nothing and stared back with the intensity capable of peering into the soul.

There was a joke in here somewhere, the rational and still-sane side of Issei thought. The Fourth's true identity was a mask. The mask was his face. And his face had been a mask all along.

He would have laughed if he wasn't consumed by this miasma of fear.

The Fourth curled his fingers around the air, grabbing onto something. A hilt appeared by his will. A long blade manifested but did not make a shape to determine what sort of weapon it was. It was always changing. A mace, a spear, a dagger, a whip— but always some dark, shadowy substance with vein lines of blood at its core.

"I haven't gone all out like this since I ate the Earth Mother," grinned the Fourth. It was a different sort of grin. His mask moved like an actual face but the grin was much more controlled. It almost looked civil. "I wonder how she and the Father's blood incorporate in all this…"

Issei felt like he should run. It felt like he was against his natural enemy. _This _was the power of the Earth Mother and the Heavenly Father at their peak and standing against him. The full authority and power of the planet itself and the authority of the heavens. Of the physical and of the divine. Of pagan and holy. Of Gaia and of God.

He was a Dragon and a Devil. He knew both species were enemies to _both _ancient beings.

But he remained still. He shook in fear just as much as he shook with rage. Rage. _Rage! _This was still the Fourth. This was no Earth Mother or Heavenly Father. This was a man who had stolen both their authorities. A man. _A man!_

There was light within Issei that burned. As small as hope but as hot as courage. The World was telling him something about this form. Something he had almost missed.

It was telling him the Fourth could die when only in this form. That if Issei fled, the Fourth will be deathless once again. And if he stayed and fought, Issei will more than likely die but could, if a miracle could happen, kill the Fourth along with him.

If a miracle would happen.

Issei roared. No extra power coursed through him. That hadn't been his intention. It amplified his spirit, shook the doubt from his body, and embraced the valor within himself. This was his chance! He would defeat the Fourth Predator even if it meant at the cost of his own life. He would kill the world's worst enemy.

"Come at me, bra," cackled the Fourth. He raised his shapeless weapon over his head.

Issei shot down. The Fourth flew up. Another clash of titans, of gods, of ascendant beings shook the world.

*Scene*

It was becoming more and more difficult to keep track of the Vampire and the Dragoon. Predator Philips' Dusk Blades were spread throughout this region of Japan— he even had to drag Dawn Blades from Kyoto, Tokyo, and Fuyuki to keep his eyes open. They had started to remain within Kuoh but as things dragged out and their intensity jumped a few pegs, they started to travel all over the place. The amount of speed Hyoudou could fly was frightening. Philips didn't understand why he didn't create sonic booms at each jump but he had a theory it had something to do with those magical wings of his.

They rarely stopped moving. And even in those instances that would give a window as small as a marble, the shot from his best Dusk Blades was impossible. His best snipers would be able to pierce through the conditions such as distance and weather. The problem was the timing and predicting where the Fourth would be before the Eighth sent him flying once more.

…And then they disappeared from his views entirely. They were somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

Philips made sure to keep his emotions in check. This was his greatest opportunity to take out the Fourth. He underestimated the level of devastation the Eighth could bring. This was a sort of battle Philips would read about through one of Chase's comics. A clash of superheroes, more like gods than men, destroying their surroundings and ignoring the general populace. Buildings would crumble apart and the illustrators would never share how many casualties there really were in the aftermath. They would just move on with the story.

It was Philips who was doing the best he could to save as many lives as possible. What Dusk Blades that weren't being used to observe the battle were escorting civilians to safety. Not everyone he could save as the storm of red lightning incinerated them before his Blades could get to them. But try he did.

His head was aching from how many Blades he had to coordinate. And it still wasn't enough.

His right hand was twitching— he badly needed a smoke right now. He found his left hand was twirling the NERGAL dagger between his fingers. It was a poor habit that showed his emotions. No one could see him— except Chase— and normally it could have been excused. But to have such a thought would make him rusty.

He stilled his hands and put the dagger away.

Philips was at a crossroads. Dare he bring the rest of his Blades to protect the city? Dare he extract them out of the city to have better eyes on the fight? Or dare he leave things as they were now and _hope _Hyoudou succeeded?

Option four: dare he use [Twilight Blades]?

Tempting. And that was something he wanted to avoid; it was _tempting. _It meant there was a downside on his end that might not be as profitiable as he would like. It would be a gamble. Surely a [Twilight Blade] wielding the P-52 Longinus rifle would be able to make the shot compared to even his best Dusk Blade marksman.

No, he decided in the end. The Blade would be able to make the shot without any doubt. But only if luck was in his favor. He did not want to rely on luck, on something as flimsy and transparent as chance. He didn't want to roll dice and pray he got the right number.

"Want one?"

Chase was at his side, offering him a can of beer. Philips refused it. He didn't drink or partake in anything that would dilute his sense. Even smoking was a rarity.

"Where did you get that?" Philips asked instead.

"You know where," Chase retorted with his usual annoyed tone. He reached into the bag strapped over his shoulder and pulled out a switch blade. He poked a hole through the side of the can and brought it towards his lips, drinking it slowly instead of letting it explode by opening it from the top.

"Brought it with me," he shared anyways when the beverage was finished. He crushed the can in his grip and tossed it aside back into the rubble. "Dug it out not too long ago and figured you might want one for the headache. In fact…"

He looked at his feet, his eyes glowing for a brief moment as he pierced through the levels of stone and wood below. He bent over; his arm stabbed through the layers like paper and he retched free another can of beer.

He offered it to Philips, "Artemis, I think you need it. You're an ass but I can't afford to lose you."

"This won't kill me," he shared. The headache was growing as he continued to warp Blades all over the countryside in an attempt to follow the Dragoon and Vampire's fight while seeing to the safety of the civilians. His training as a Tactical Hunter taught him how to ignore pain.

"You are… strangely calm…" Philips stated. While Chase could not get himself involved else lose another precious life and lessen his time in this world further, that never stopped the Acolyte from finding loopholes and scheming anyways. Philips had a feeling this whole fiasco with the Excalibur was his doing but couldn't find any evidence to prove anything.

Yet here he was, standing in the background and simply watching without any emotion as the Fourth's construction rampaged around the field. The Devils— Philips couldn't give any less of a fuck about them in the first place— were being harassed and kept from fleeing. Asia, one of Chase's precious persons of interest, was in critical danger. And Rias Gremory, for that matter. If she died then so too would Predator Hyoudou. _And _Hyoudou was fighting against the Fourth to the death.

Despite all of this, Chase was drinking the second can of beer.

"Serene won't let any of them die," he said with a shrug, though Philips knew there was more to it. "You and I have also known Four since the old world. If he survived _that _then I'm sure he could survive against Issei. I also have faith in Issei to not lose. The boy has too much to live for. They're little tussle will end in a draw. Issei will be wounded heavily but will lick his wounds and get back up in a short time. Probably the same with Four. I'll convince the fatass to leave the kid alone for a while. Besides… I need him for the Rating Game…"

The crushed the can again and looked around at his feet for another beverage underground.

"Are you sure it's going to work?" asked Philips.

"No plan survives the enemy," replied Chase. His head stopped moving. He either couldn't find anything or there were some beyond his reach. "The point is to gain as much attention as possible. That's not too difficult. King Oberon versus the Devil's Dragoon. Most don't know I'm a Predator but the recognition as the King of the Fae is enough to turn heads. Serafall even added fuel to that fire by adding herself to the roster. I just need to find the right way to advertise it all and our enemies will…"

Philips no longer had the ability to follow his words. The pain in his head spiked as his Blades had been able to pick up the Dragoon and Vampire. And the speeds they traveled were far greater than how they previously were. They were but blips in existence, faster than light as they appeared and disappeared in distances that should not have been possible. His Blades struggled to keep up, to warp at their location and set up their weapons as fast as they could.

Philips was gritting his teeth behind his helmet. He could feel the blood drip down his nose as something in his head had snapped like a coil breaking and destroying everything in its path from the tension. But he wouldn't show anything for Chase to see. He stood tall and unflinching.

He now had no choice. Gamble or not, the current state of himself and his Blades were not enough to touch the Fourth.

Chase looked at him, his eyes widening slightly as he felt the authority slowly rise from within Philips' core. "What are you doing?"

His black armor was visible to everyone at this point. The NERGAL-class armor set belonging to the Shade-class Tactical Hunters was anti-reflective. But, as the authority was rising, moonlight began to shimmer off its surface. The moonlight then began to glow brighter… almost as though the sun itself was shining high in the sky.

"**I am Fifth Predator," **Philips announced and the World acknowledged his presence. He was no longer hidden from the system as _Radiance of the Sun _was reversed, revealing its true power.

He could feel the power flourish through him. It was warm like the rays of sunlight soaking in his skin on a summer day. He hated this power because it was the exact opposite of him; it was a beacon for all to see. It soaked in attention for all to see.

Predator Philips drew his NERGAL dagger and the Winter Knight magnum from their holsters. He raised his hands, crossing gun and dagger over the other.

His armor turned white; the light reflecting off the metal turned golden.

The blood demon had been drawn towards him. It— taking the form of a man-serpent with arms of bone scythes and wings of blades— noticed his presence and slithered towards him at inhuman speeds. This would have been the opportune moment for someone to stab at the creature while its defenses were down or for the Gremory group to flee.

But _everyone _was looking at him. _Radiance of the Sun, _when used at its full power, made him the center of all attention.

He hated it. But there was a point to this.

He dove at the last instance as the demon swung its arm to slice him in half. He fired shots into its abdomen and cycled around it, bringing the dagger into its side and running down its tail. Every wound inflicted on the creature burned; but it was a burn that reached down to its very existence. It was a wound that could never heal.

"Really?!" shouted Chase from the pile of rock he had dove into.

As he began to fight against the creature, he kept his mind focused on his Blades.

Dawn and Dusk Blades all over the region were ascending. [Twilight Blades] were being created, including those trying to hunt the Fourth. They were sharing in his power, capable of drinking in _more _of the Radiance within. They were ascending higher than his body could allow. Their bodies were disintegrating and then reforming. They were becoming puppets that were no longer bound to the physical plane.

They were able to keep up tracking the Fourth and Eighth Predators. They were able to set up their weapons and calculate the moves of their target. They would be able to make the shot.

But now came the gamble.

Thirty seconds. He had thirty seconds with this power and to take his shot. Any longer and he'll burn himself.

*Scene*

In hindsight… this might have been the wrong choice.

_~The time has come.~_

Issei thought this as the shadow weapon warped into a mace and smashed across the side of his head. The world rattled around him as shards of metal splattered everywhere just as much as his blood. He was spinning uncontrollably in _some _direction before crashing against something hard. Nowhere near as hard as the weapon, but hard enough to break his fall.

He realized a split second later he had crashed onto the side of a mountain. He didn't have the chance to think about anything else. He was moving before his mind could fully recover. His body was mostly on autopilot by this point, driven solemnly by his instincts to live.

In the next instant, Four was swinging his weapon; it extended and pulverized the side of the mountain Issei had just been on. Stone erupted in a cataclysmic explosion. A massive chunk of the mountain was blown off in less than a second.

_~Rage! Rage! Show him why you are our better!~_

He really couldn't use time as a measurement by this point. They were moving too fast to count the seconds. They were probably exchanging twenty attacks per second, give or take a few.

Take now, for example. By the time the cloud of dust had reached its peak from Four's strike, they were already miles away.

There was a problem, however. This was the hardest he had been pushed. No, not pushed. He was being beaten to a pulp. He was shoved to the ground and forced to eat dirt. He was delivering just as many blows as he was receiving them. His armor was in shambles and his blood was flowing in streams. The regeneration on both his body and armor couldn't keep up.

In the next exchange, he couldn't tell which direction was up. They were flinging limbs at another, slashing with claws and blades. Both their blood was splattering in every direction and he couldn't take the time to watch which way they fell by gravity. His vision was black with only the smallest traces of colors to follow. The world around him didn't matter. Every now and then he felt himself crashing against something but couldn't waste the time figuring out what it was. It could have been a field of trees, another mountain, or even buildings.

_~We bowed to you! Prove why you are our king!~_

Issei roared. The pain was driving him. Fear was now becoming rage. His heart was racing and he knew the moment he let up even in the slightest he would be dead. His insides were on fire and his body was falling apart no matter how many times he was healing. But he felt the difference as the battle dragged on. He was growing stronger. His punches and blasts of draconian destruction were doing more damage. It was taking more effort from the Fourth to pierce his armor.

He opened his mouth and unleashed a Jetstream of draconian flames. It swept far and wide, consuming everything in its path. The flames were once a dark red but had now become a bright crimson after multiple uses. And after each shot, after ruining his insides from constantly channeling the cosmic forces and his draconian nature, each blast was becoming more focused, more potent, and hotter than anything the world could withstand. It always tore apart space itself.

The Fourth swung his shapeless blade. A wave of black energy split his flames in half. While Issei's attacks had always been a substance, his was the exact opposite. It was a nothingness that devoured his power. It had no power. It was nothing cutting into the realm of existence.

Issei's flames swerved around and crashed onto the Fourth anyways. And the Fourth's attack struck Issei square on the chest. The Vampire's flesh boiled and pussed. And Issei's metal rotted with blood oozing out.

They were moving once more against another before their wounds could begin to heal.

_~We shall fight with you! We are here!~_

_~We have awoken!~_

_~Fight! Dragon of Domination! Fight!~_

The Fourth's blade was drinking into his draconian blood with every attack. Whenever it swiped at him, whenever it dug into his skin, the blade grew stronger. Just as Issei was gaining a resistance to every attack, the Fourth was countering that resistance. He could feel some sort of poison coursing through his veins, slowing the regeneration process and burning himself. He would have been screaming in agony if he wasn't so focused on the fight.

It was a ride on its own. He was growing stronger and weaker simultaneously. His draconian nature was mending his body just as quickly as the Fourth's poison was tearing him apart.

The earth and heavens shook with every clash. Claws and fangs dug deep into the Fourth while his blade shredded and his dark magic consumed. Crimson and black energies swirled.

"You know we've only been at this for, like, twelve seconds, yeah?"

They were the first words since the beginning of the second round. Twelve seconds. Issei had thought it felt like hours with how many blows they exchanged and how tired he felt.

The Fourth's mask shifted into a charming smile. An almost gentlemanly smile. The sleek porcelain warped into a handsome face.

Time warped again as they continued their battle. Thunder cracked when metal collided.

Red metal shattered when a black claymore met his side. Blood splattered when Issei's claws tore off an arm.

They went at it. Again, and again, and again. They tore each other apart. The Fourth was now this giant heap of black, shapeless ooze that somewhat resembled a human body every now and then. And Issei's armor no longer shimmered in brilliance and the gems were cloudy. His Gift of Flight now radiated the lights of the mortal spectrum rather than their unearthly rays only found in the Dimensional Gap.

He was hearing voices in his head.

_~Kill him! Kill him!~_

_~We're almost there!~_

_~He wronged you…~_

_~We give you our strength!~_

_~USE IT TO KILL HIM!~_

He roared; his draconian energies spiked and replenished him back to his prime. But his power could go no higher. His body could only contain so much. Now all that remained was his own natural skill to defeat his opponent.

"…And here we go again," sighed the Vampire with an enlightened smile.

He brought his freehand back, over his head as if ready to throw something.

A spear formed in his hand. Forged of shadow and blood and brimming with such power Issei was forced to look away. The spear was light, without a doubt, but brighter and holier than any spear of light from any Fallen Angel he had seen. Kokabiel, who could create a spear strong enough to level a city, was nothing more than the wicker of a candle flame compared to this. But this light… made of blood and shadow… it was brighter than an Angel's light.

Every instinct screamed at Issei. His wings flickered and he flew back a mile less than a blink of an eye.

The Vampire threw the spear empowered by the earthbound authorities of the Earth Mother and the divine might of the Heavenly Father.

It was a spear of Gaia and God.

_~The sword! Give him the sword!~_

Issei let loose another roar as the spear of his ultimate bane came flying towards him. Time and Space warped as the spear did not travel as it simply teleported. It defied the Laws of the World, folding the planes of existence into a single layer so the spear appeared at its destination as soon as it was released.

No matter how far or how fast he traveled, be it to the other end of the planet or the edge of the universe, Issei could never hope to dodge the spear.

He knew this. The World was telling him this. He was going to die. The powers of the Earth Mother would condemn his draconian blood. The divinity of the Heavenly Father would obliterate his very existence.

_**Do you remember, Partner?**_

He roared and brought his hand up where the spear would have been. It should have dismissed his hand and pierced his heart. This was a Miracle, a Defiant Work in which ignored the Laws of the World. Logic was a matter only belonging to the wielder.

Yet… The spear was deflected by a sword.

No. Not deflected. _Devoured. _The spear was removed from existence. The World's system was corrected.

_**I gave you my power…**_

A black blade was in his hand. It was made of obsidian metal, devoured light including the glow from his Gift of Flight and the cosmic rays from his emeralds, and shimmered in a perverse darkness. It almost seemed to breathe and Issei could feel it pulse like a heartbeat.

…_**for this very moment.**_

Vorpal, the Dream Devourer, destroyed anything that was never meant to have existed. With its purpose fulfilled, the blade sank back into its hilt and dispersed into motes of energy like black glass. It sank then into his armor.

The Fourth blinked behind his porcelain mask. A growl slowly made its way out of the back of his throat.

"Surprised?" Issei asked between humor and relief. "So am I."

_**I did not bow to a weakling. I bowed to he who usurped my spirit!**_

His armor began to shift and change. It became sleek and smooth, no longer resembling a dragon's skin of scales and now becoming a singular suit of armor in the shape of a dragon. His metallic wings split apart into a set of four blades akin more to an insect's rather than a dragon's. Spikes protruded all over his body; down his spine, out of his shoulders, horns around his head in a crown and one at his snout, and all else at every joint. Boosters opened wide at his back, behind his heels and beneath his feet, and behind his elbows.

The gems decorating his armor turned black like obsidian.

[Promotion success! Knight Juggernaut Overdrive!]

The Fourth was moving. He lifted his hand again to form another almighty spear. At the same time, he waved his other arm around for his shapeless weapon to initiate a preemptive strike. It would attack him first before Issei would have the chance to deflect another spear.

But, as Issei blinked and saw the major difference, he realized something.

His heart was racing, beating harder and faster than what should have been possible. It should have ruptured from the strain and yet he felt fine. He could also feel his body heat up as steam poured out of his nostrils. Electric signals were surging to every nerve throughout his being. He could see it and he could feel it.

His sense of time was being heightened to unruly levels. He could perceive the Fourth's movements so clearly. He could see the pagan and divine energies swirling together in forming another spear. And he could see the dark taint of blood and shadow warping the shapeless blade into a chain whip with studded tips.

Vorpal, the instrument Ludwig von Siegfried had gifted him, had mixed in the properties of a Promotional Knight with his Sacred Gear.

_**Do you know who you are?!**_

The boosters lit up at his back. The Gift of Flight flourished anew.

The Fourth's left arm was sliced off with unreal ease. Muscle Issei had difficulty cutting through were now as soft as butter. And he had moved faster than the Fourth could react. The Vampire's eyes had widened at the initiative strike and was barely gathering his wits by the time Issei was cutting off the other arm.

But he was no fool to battle. When Issei went for a third strike, this time to slice off his head, the Fourth had been able to gather distance. His smile returned as he reassessed Issei's newfound potential.

"So you're faster," cackled the Fourth. His words were stretched out as Issei moved at his flank. The Fourth's eyes weren't following him as they were dragging across the open plane in an attempt of pursuit. "Then I'll have to match it!"

Issei brought his claws around to pierce at his head.

The Fourth intercepted the attack with his shapeless weapon, now taking the form of a katana. The blade hissed and began to sizzle at his touch. Slowly, but surely, Issei could see the talons start to sink into the shade and blood material.

Vorpal was devouring his weapon even then.

He broke away, his wings dragging him away while the Fourth swung almost blindly at the open air. A trail of blood followed from the tip of the sword almost like a whip reaching out for him. But the Dragoon easily dodged. He already cycled around, being pushed by his boosters this time, and carved deep into the fine muscle within the Vampire's back.

Blood and bone erupted as the Vampire's retaliation was to use his innards as a defense. The blood solidified and turned into spikes while the bones fired out of his back like shrapnel. However, Issei was more than quick enough to avoid any of the damage. He circled around again and brought his knee up towards the side of the Vampire's head.

There was almost desperation from the Fourth as he raised his arm at the last instant. The spike at Issei's kneecap tore off the appendage and would have cracked at the mask hadn't the Fourth done so. Already, as he moved away in worry for the retaliation, the limb was regenerating…

But the Fourth did not attack. His eyes had narrowed.

…The mask!

Issei went for it again, sure of himself and his newfound speed.

"Don't fuck with me, boy!"

The Fourth had shouted these words at a speed Issei could follow as though perceived normally. His eyes widened as he hit the brakes at the last instance.

A spear of shadow and light was in his hands and swung at Issei. It was not on par to the almighty spear he had previously used but it was still on a league of its own compared to any Fallen Angel's. Had Issei followed through with his attack then surely it would have delivered a critical blow to him. He would have been tremendously wounded at best and dead at worst. But even with such a wound he would have been dead in the end.

He tried getting away. His wings dragged him back to regain distance while his boosters tossed him around in random directions. But the Fourth had been able to follow with his black and red eyes.

This time, the Vampire roared. His mask opened up with jagged fangs making up the mouth. A howl of nightmares filled the air.

The Fourth threw his spear at Issei. It shattered into a thousand motes of shadow and light and continued to travel forward. No, not forward; each shard scattered and then refocused on Issei's location. They surrounded him in every corner.

He would have moved in the only direction: backwards. But Vorpal had a better plan, apparently.

His armor shifted again.

The collision of shadow and light, of pagan and holy energies, basked the sky in an eerie twilight of purples and orange.

The Vampire's eyes narrowed as he knew his attack would not be enough to lay waste to his opposition. Another spear was already being prepared. And this time, it was an almighty spear of mixed powers from the Earth Mother and the Heavenly Father. The spear of Gaia and God.

[Promotion successful! Rook Juggernaut Overdrive!]

The spikes over his body had morphed into a second plating. They covered the gaps in his armor and applied extra defense to his vital parts. The metallic wings at his back no longer resembled aviation appendages. They were more so two halves of a shell that covered his back. He resembled more a turtle than a dragon in this form.

He was also slow, agonizingly so. The rush had washed away from Issei and he felt heavy. The armor was double packed with his draconian essence. It had even been built to convert his energies into a _third _layer of armor, an invisible barrier coated his skin. Still, the boosters remained so he could use them to move him around enough.

"…I'm not impressed," was all the Fourth said as he threw the almighty spear once again.

Space and Time warped once more as it folded reality to pierce its target with immediate results.

Issei's hands were at his back and bringing the metallic parts around. He crossed his arms, slamming the two halves together and forming a shield at his direct front. This was his fourth and strongest defense.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" shouted the Fourth in absolute outrage.

The shield turned black, coating itself in with Vorpal's affinity. The spear _should have _ignored the shield and penetrated Issei. But Vorpal would now allow it. The shield blocked the attack with humiliating ease. The spear of Gaia and God dispersed into nothingness as the Dream Devourer erased it once more.

"This is some serious fucking bullshit!" roared the Fourth as he brought his weapon around. His speed was still attuned to Issei's Knight Promotion and had been faster than Issei could have blinked.

The thrusters at his back flared and pushed him forward. The Fourth's weapon, some sort of trident or a similar polearm he couldn't fully make out, grazed against the first two layers of his defense but could not penetrate any deeper. Issei raised his hand and activated the booster at his elbow. Green flames of draconian force amplified the thrust of his punch.

The Fourth retracted his weapon and brought it up to block. It had formed a shield and shadow and darkness.

It shattered into mist. His eyes widened. He tried to move at the last instance.

Issei's fist made direct contact with the mask. He heard a satisfying crunch as a spider web crack appeared from the impact. A sonic boom was made upon contact and the Fourth was sent spiraling and tossing back.

It was his Gift of Flight that allowed him to follow the Fourth. There was a lag to his movements, however. While the Gift of Flight could travel him parallel to the speed of the Fourth, Issei's personal movements were slowed down due to the bulk and weight of his armor in this form. Simply bringing his arm around for a second strike was taking twice as long as it would have been in his normal Juggernaut Drive.

That had given the Fourth more than enough time to recover and dodge. He flipped in the air and brought his boot around to Issei's cranium. The attack was hardly felt.

Issei's retaliation was to unleash a torrent of dragon fire at point blank.

The Fourth was swept up in a sea of flames and sent crashing back down to the earth.

A shout of outrage bellowed. He swung his weapon, fanning the flames away and slit his wrists. Shadow, blood, and light coated the edge of his shapeless weapon as he swung it around once again. A crescent wave of the three energies fired out towards Issei like a missile.

He brought his shield out once more. The attack struck at its center. His joints buckled as the force of the strike shook him. He grunted but bore with it. The shield held true and protected him from the blast.

When Issei lowered his shield, there was the Fourth making another almighty spear.

"If it didn't work the first time what makes you think it'd work a third?" Issei inquired. Still, he kept a reasonable amount of doubt in his mind. He hadn't known Vorpal was capable of saving him the first time. He didn't know the full extent of its abilities and was relying on his instincts entirely from this battle instead of strategy. And he had known next to nothing about his opponent since the beginning of this brawl. The Fourth could always pull something out of his ass.

"Because I know I'm aiming at something that _will _hurt you," his answer came with a sinister smile with a lick of his porcelain lips.

The Fourth turned and drew his arm back. He was not aiming at Issei.

The Dragoon's heart lurched. He knew where the Fourth was aiming at. He needed to switch back to his Knight Promotion and stop the Fourth from throwing that spear!

By his desire, Vorpal began to change his armor again.

But he didn't have the time. It was too late. The Vampire was already bringing his arm down and releasing his grip on the spear.

"Dragon shot!" shouted Issei. He did not aim at the Fourth in hoping he would lop off the arm and make him miss. That would be too much of a gamble. He aimed instead at the spear itself.

The barrel he pointed with under his arm fired. Nothing shot from the end but it had done its intended purpose. While the almighty spear folded dimensions to instantaneously reach its target, the shot from the Vorpal cannon had straightened the dimensions. The spear traveled normally like any other. But at the exposure to the Vorpal's artillery, it disintegrated into nothingness.

[Promotion successful! Bishop Juggernaut Overdrive!]

The Fourth had no more words to share as his eyes blazed in fury.

Both armor and speed had been shed for this set of armor. His spare arms had turned into elongated barrels he could grab— a turret on his right and a long-range rifle cannon on his left. A secondary set of cannons rested on his shoulders with dragon maws wide open. His wings had transformed as well, changing into a battery pack with gears and fans.

The Fourth raised his weapon, ready to transform it into anything capable of challenging Issei or bringing him down.

The Dragoon didn't give him such a chance.

A barrage of crimson draconian energy was unleashed from the turret under his right arm. Every bullet contained the force of a singular Dragon Shot capable of leveling a fortress wall. Dozens of these bullets were unleashed per second.

The Fourth roared as his body was being pummeled. He brought his weapon around to deflect the bullets but even he could not avert all of them. Each shot he made contact with was powerful enough to rattle his whole body. He could not recover quickly enough to deflect the next set that followed in its shadow. Desperation was now clear in his eyes as he spent the majority of his time defending his mask.

While sending this hellfire on him, the battery pack on Issei's back began to emit heat. The gears and fans spun, conducting more energy as sparks of red lit up. The dragon maws at his shoulders came alive, growling feral threats as the energy transferred into their cores.

"Fucking, fuck, fuck!" shouted the Fourth. **"Do you know who I am?! I am Fourth, the Vamp—"**

There had been something over the edge of the horizon. A faint glow of something truly magnificent. Issei almost looked away to gaze at it. Almost. It had been tempting but there was nothing more gratifying than watching his greatest enemy sink to such lengths of desperation.

The Fourth, however, looked.

Something came from the horizon. Something bright, blindingly so— something that transcended the radiance of the spear of Gaia and God. It struck the Fourth right at the forehead. His head bobbled back from the impact.

His mask began to fall apart. Behind it was… nothing.

"N-No…" his hands went up to his face as the shards began to slip through his fingers. His voice was low, terrified. "No. No. No. No, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOOOOO! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!"

Issei didn't know what it was that had happened. But he would take it.

**"Do you know who I am?"** he asked as he felt the World shift in his favor.

He unleashed everything from the cannons on his shoulders. Twin beams of draconian energy flared and decimated the area. It enveloped the defenseless man who was too busy keeping his face from falling apart.

Issei was swept up in a sea of crimson as the world shook again from the blast.

*Scene*

"You… You don't know what you've done…" he said as he crawled on the floor. One hand was on what remained of his face— just a single jagged piece of glass that was ready to collapse at the slightest pressure.

Issei stomped his foot down on his throat and pointed the end of his barrel at his adversary's last fragment.

"I… I am the Earth Mother and the Heavenly Father…" he continued. "I am the earth incarnate and the heavens incarnate! I _am _Heaven and Earth! You can't do this!"

Issei felt tired. So very tired. The poison was still working its way through his body. His armor was starting to crack. This had been the longest he had been in Juggernaut Drive and he didn't know how Promotion would affect the strain. But it felt like he was ready to collapse at any instance. He wouldn't. He needed to finish this.

"You… You need me for the Evensong!" he went on, grasping at straws at this point. "Those girls you love… they'll die without me. You love them, right? You want them to live? Okay, I'll leave and never come back. I'll only be around for the Evensong. I promise!"

The barrel began to light up, slowly charging not because Issei wanted to drag this out. But because he was tired and this was the best he could do at his strength. The rush from the battle was cascading down.

"Come on! It was all a joke! Can't you take a joke?! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Laugh damn you, LAUGH!"

"I'll ask you once again. **Do you know who I am?"**

His answer was a mix between snarling and whimpering.

The barrel was done charging. He pressed it directly against the last shard of porcelain.

He pulled the trigger.

**"I am Seventh, the Dragoon."**

And the Vampire was no more.

* * *

**AN: Next Chapter: Epilogue!**


	19. Epilogue

He had a dream.

Issei was walking into a great hall with a long table. Try as he might, he could not pick up any finer detail such as the ornaments hanging on the walls… or even if there were walls in the first place. The corners of his eyes saw glimpses of things here and there but he could not turn his head to look at them. His attention was locked ahead.

Lining the table were chairs. Some were made of wood, some made of metal, some even plastic. Some were decorated with regalia, gems, or crests of importance. Some were just plain. And seated— now standing at attention as soon as he came in— was a person. They wore clothes of every culture of just about every civilization as far back as he could trace. Well, it's not like he was an ace in history class but Sona had drilled the lectures into his head and couldn't forget the most important stuff no matter how much time had passed.

He could barely make out their features. Some of them just had blank faces. Some, towards the far back of the table, he couldn't make out any details only that they resembled a human shape. However, the three at the very front of the table were the most significant, he knew. On his left was a woman and on his right, across of her, was a man. The both of them radiated a power that was just one league below him.

The third figure spun his chair around— a leather office chair instead of the dining and thrones— in order to face Issei. He… she… _it… _Fuck, Issei couldn't tell who or what this individual was. A smooth face, between feminine and masculine, between handsome and pretty, with large black eyes and black hair. There weren't any definite shapes or curves on their figure for him to tell whether this one was a man or woman.

_~To the King!~_

_ ~The Dragon of Domination!~_

In perfect sync, each denizen at the table raised their arms and cheered. It was a singular sound of a thousand voices mixing into one. They all cheered, some pounding their armored chests, banging fists against the table, or stamped their boots. Some simply saluted according to whatever military they originated from.

They all did this except the one at the head. The figure crossed its legs and cupped its hands over the knee.

"What… What is all this?" Issei asked.

"The antechamber," answered the genderless figure. He/she/it tilted their head slightly and thought further. "The prison for all your predecessors."

"It is no longer a prison," said the woman. "We are all free to leave when we wish. Our current host has broken the curse. We stay to serve him just as we have in his most dire time of need."

The man across of her gave a gruff. There was pride in his stare but Issei couldn't tell anything further.

"…Who are you?" Issei asked next.

The woman smiled but didn't answer. The man crossed his arms and said nothing as well.

"I am Vorpal," said the figure at the head. "Or, the expression of the system. I am the processor my creator designed at its core. He did not, however, install a personality into me. _You _did that with by infecting me with the Oppai virus. I've been force fed your love of breasts and had been forced to adapt. I was only to be a support program that adjusted your Sacred Gear according to the situation…"

Vorpal sighed and massaged the side of its head.

"…I'm sorry?" Issei could only offer as he scratched the back of his head.

The man at the right lifted his head. His stare was hard. He looked to be a man who had come across a hundred battles with a soul just as hardened as Issei's, if not greater. There was a great age in his eyes. His lips twitched as he opened his mouth to share words. His voice was deep and gruff.

"Zoom-zoom, iyaan~"

He then gave Issei a thumbs-up and a smile of respect.

…What?

_Whatever _the man had said shook Vorpal. The incarnation of the blade swiveled back around, pressed his face into his hands, and began to visibly shake. The sound of sobbing was heard shortly after.

_~ZOOM-ZOOM, IYAAN!~ _roared the people in the background.

"Just make it stop!" sobbed Vorpal.

Issei… had no idea what was going on.

It was the woman who answered him. "Can you not feel it, my king? The echoes of the chant? It comes straight from your core, where your soul and Ddraig's have melded into one. We hear it every so often, and when we do does your vessel glow like a second sun. There lies your true power."

"No!" shouted Vorpal as it stood straight from its seat. Its hands fell flat on the table. "It doesn't work like that! You _can't _just gain quantum radiant energy from something as _mundane _as a pair of tits! This is an error, I keep telling you people! But you don't listen! You instead worship this _glitch _as if it's some… some… _god_!"

Issei was getting more and more loss by the second. He raised his hand and tried to get the attention back. "Um…? Can I just know why I'm here?"

"You still deny it, Vorpal?" asked the woman. "You were not here when our king made love with his master—"

"YOU GUYS SAW THAT?!" shrieked Issei as his face turned scarlet.

She ignored him. "Both times did this spike in energy come. It came again, when you were here, as he made love to the priestess. It came once more, albeit to a lesser extent, when they offered their bosoms for him."

"It was him getting excited," countered Vorpal. "This happens. Take the battle we just commenced. Let me dumb it down for you _barbarians. _His heart was racing, producing this little thing called adrenaline, and heightened all his motor and cognitive functions. That included the efficiency in the synchrony with his Sacred Gear. The closer the patterns match between body and Sacred Gear, the better both operate."

"…You simply refuse to believe," she shook her head.

"Believe?" Vorpal asked incredulously. "I'm not here to _believe. _I don't follow such an abstract concept you humans come up with to lie to yourselves in understanding something beyond your own measurements. I learn facts. I know truths. _Those _I follow. So unless he, I don't know, pokes Rias' breasts and hits some unknown switch from doing so, _then _I'll listen to your babbling."

"You will rue those words, Dream Eater," she returned with a smile.

"_Devourer,_" Vorpal retorted, almost pouting like a child. "I am _not _fat. I am the Dream Devourer—"

"Oi!" Issei barked. "I'm still here!"

"Oh, yes, you," Vorpal sat back in its chair and spun back around. "What was your question? Why you were here? Well, let me share you something. Usually this would be the part of one's life where one would come to a crossing of roads. You are to make a choice, between several options, all of which are life-changing. Normally, this would be the point where you come to this…"

Vorpal waved its hands around looking for the right word.

"Adviser?" inserted the woman.

"Good enough," shrugged the blade incarnation. "Adviser. This little voice in your head that offers you sound advice— useless things that you already knew beforehand but still waste the time to reflect on them. You are at an end of your journey, Hyoudou Issei. And you need to figure out what to do next. And this would be the part of your story where this seemingly know-it-all adviser will point you in the right direction."

Vorpal stood, crossed the distance in a few long strides, and grasped Issei's shoulders in its hands. It gave him a firm squeeze of assurance.

"This is not one of those stories. Good luck figuring it out on your own."

It then patted his shoulder and went back to its seat.

"I am an operating system designed to increase your chances of survival _in combat,_" further explained Vorpal. "It's not in my programming to worry about what you do with yourself for the remainder of your days. That's for you to decide on your own. So don't ask me why you're here when—"

"I, uh, actually meant that in the literal sense," Issei scratched his cheek this time. "I wasn't asking for some lecture. I just want to know why I'm _here._"

Vorpal's face puckered. And Issei could have sworn there was a tint of red on its cheeks. It did look embarrassed though. "I see. Well. You are currently unconscious. You're in a deep enough sleep to have your psyche sink in here, where not even the World can reach you. This is one of the chambers to your Quantum Identity Cortex— or the _soul, _as you humans confuse it with. This particular chamber is in charge of hosting your Sacred Gear, the Boosted Gear. Normally, it would be a part of your body instead of the QIC but seeing what you did to Ddraig…"

It shrugged, leaving the statement open for Issei to finish on his own. It then moved on, "There's no particular reason you're here. It's a… defense mechanism, if you want to call it that. The analytical detection program— you're little constant awareness perk, as you prefer to call it— is keeping you in a semi-conscious state of mind. Your body needs to fully heal and the World is keeping it from resting entirely. Your mind shut down, then, allowing your body to work on recovery. But, so you know, this is when you are at your weakest."

Issei nodded but asked another question. "What happened after I…?"

Vorpal drummed its fingers on the armrest. Its eyes looked away in thought. "You returned to your… fRiEnDs," it said the word with an awkward pronunciation, as if the word was entirely foreign and didn't know how to properly say it. "You succumbed to your wounds, the fatigue, and the erosion from your adversary. I don't know how long you've been under. You'd be dead if it wasn't for that… _thing. _I couldn't remove the toxins but she did something. I can't remove her injection either—"

"M-My friends!" Issei cried. "What happened to them? Did Serene get them out of there? Are they alright? Did they—"

Vorpal raised his hand. "Of all the things you concern yourself with. Never mind I just stated something of vital importance and you just… I can't answer any of that. It's not in my programming to worry about them. You are my only concern."

There was a heavy silence in the antechamber.

"Thank you."

Vorpal raised a brow as it saw Issei lower his head and bow. His face was parallel to the floor.

"If it wasn't for you… I… I don't know if could have…"

"That spear would have killed you," Vorpal stated. "I'll accept your gratitude but it's unneeded. It's in my core to remove the greatest of threats… provided they are things within my means of removing. I'm not done with the installation, by the way. You only have access to [Knight], [Rook], and [Bishop] Illegal Moves. I am… 78.142% complete. You won't be able to access [Queen] until it's complete."

"There's… one more thing…" Iseei said. He felt something in the back of his mind. He could hear the whisperings of the World slowly start to creep around him. Perhaps he was starting to stir back into consciousness.

"…Yes?" Vorpal asked with interest. The blade's eyes sharpened. It seemed to know what Issei's question was before it could be asked.

"Your voices I could hear clearly," Issei looked around to his predecessors. Their emotionless gazes were locked on him, ready to fulfill any command he might give. He returned back to Vorpal. "But… I could have sworn… I heard Ddraig."

Vorpal gave a frown. Behind him, heads were turning and murmurs were shared. The blade incarnation unfurled its hands in a slight shrug. "That shouldn't be possible. Ddraig is no more. Or… he is you just as you are him."

It scratched the ridge of its brow in thought. "Ddraig… was not a dragon as you might believe. He was not another being's Quantum Identity Cortex crammed into a shell that the Biblical God called Sacred Gears. He was a program— a grand nexus of code woven together into a super computer. Of course, it's far more complicated than that but this is the best I can explain it to you. I don't know what he truly was or his purpose.

"But he was code; nothing more," Vorpal shrugged again and rested its hands back into its lap. "A sequence of ones and zeroes which can be installed into your own Quantum Identity Cortex. And it was. Ddraig is now you just as much as you are him. You are two… _souls _intertwined into one. It is because I cannot fully analyze and tweak his coding with the tools my creator installed me with the reason why my full installation is hindered.

"There is more than just the Boosted Gear," it said with a raised finger. It was now rushing its words as Issei was struggling to hear. The World's voice was becoming louder. "The Boosted Gear was a console manufactured by the Biblical God with a processor larger than the console can manage. The Boosted Gear can only do so much! There is more, and I am trying to decode it.

"Bearer mine, I will unzip this file [Potential] before the—"

Whatever else Vorpal had to say couldn't be heard. The dream ended.

And Issei awoke.

*Scene*

He felt sore. Everything in his body ached and he felt more like a solid giant bruise. The pain was deep and reached down to his bones. Every heartbeat made him want to groan.

But the pain was welcoming. It meant he was alive.

He released a breath of air as he slipped out of slumber and back into the conscious world. He recognized the smell of the room and the feeling of the sheets. He was in his room and lying in his bed.

The World was also telling him he wasn't alone.

"Good evening, Master Hyoudou," greeted the Dragon Slayer just as soon as Issei had sensed him. As another Predator, Ludwig had gained the knowledge when someone was focusing on him.

Issei tried to sit up. He put his palms flat on his bed and tried to push himself up. His arms shook with fatigue and his body ached at the effort. A steady hand from Ludwig pushed him back down. Even feeling a few fingers pressed against his chest sparked pain.

"Not yet," said Ludwig sternly. "Let your body settle first and then try again."

Issei opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. The lights were low with only the desk lantern on. Ludwig was sitting in the chair with a basin of water and a few towels folded neatly in his lap. One such towel was floating in the basin. It looked like he was ready to use it before Issei awoke.

He found he was naked underneath and drenched in sweat. Ludwig must have been readying himself to wipe his body down.

"How did you get in here?" Issei asked in a voice he almost didn't recognize. It also burned to talk. He needed water.

Ludwig chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. He put the towels aside. "The lovely ladies of yours asked me for assistance when you were throwing them around in your sleep. They had asked the Familiar Master and a youkai specialist for assistance before me but it was apparent the two were of little help.

"You were dying, Master Hyoudou. Your body was fighting a losing battle against the toxins from the… former Fourth. Your body was overheating from overexertion and rampaging in your sleep. I had to use some of my dragon-slaying magic to force you to calm down. After that, I was able to give a diagnosis and work to find a remedy.

"Your lovers wanted to be at your side at all moments of the day," he said with a sigh, as though remembering something. "But you were in such a critical state and often tossed around I had to shoo them away. They are worried sick for you. When you are feeling better, I shall let them in."

"No," Issei said as he tried again to sit up. This time the pain was bearable and some of his strength had returned. He sat up and leaned against the bedframe. "I want to go to them. I don't want them to see me like this and worry about me more."

Ludwig looked at him with sharp eyes. It was the same analytical look Vorpal had given Issei in the dream— eyes that were constantly observing and learning. The old man shrugged, strangely in the same way Vorpal would, and answered. "If you are well enough. Do not remove the IV though."

Issei looked and saw the crimson cord stabbed into his arm. He wondered how it had gotten through his skin but dismissed it as it being something Ludwig, the _Dragon Slayer, _was capable of doing. Hanging on a metal rack was a pouch of red liquid. Blood. He very highly doubt it was human's blood considering Issei was scarcely human.

He wondered if he should ask how Ludwig acquired it. If it was Devil's blood then he could assume his master, Rias, had gotten it for him. If dragon's… well, it didn't matter in the end. He had other things to say.

"Thank you," he said and meant it.

"Think nothing of it, my boy," Ludwig said with a small smile. He stood, still holding his cane to support his right leg, and moved to the closet. He began to pull down one of Issei's robes.

"No, not for… all of this. Thank you for Vorpal."

There was a glint in Ludwig's eyes. Excitement. Pride. "…It surpassed all my expectations and then some. I did not believe it could defeat the Vampire but you found a way. Now come, I will assist you. You mustn't keep a woman waiting— especially such lovely ladies that are worried sick downstairs."

"Wait, there's something else," Issei said. His voice was heavy. His strength was returning but he felt drained. He looked up at the Dragon Slayer in such a stare he hadn't used in such a long time.

Ludwig noticed it as well. He nodded in understanding and waited patiently for what Issei would say next.

Issei had the stare of one who was helpless, drowning almost. He was looking up at Ludwig not so much in the literal sense as it was metaphorically. The Dragon Slayer was his senior with decades of experience beyond him. Issei had no clue what it meant to be a Predator when first starting out, official or unofficial according to the World and its Ruler regardless. He was thrown into this world when he had believed for the first fourteen years of his life everything was peaceful. That the worst he had to fear was whether he would be able to get himself a girlfriend.

When he first med Ludwig, he burned the Dragon Slayer with a flurry of questions. And Ludwig, in his practiced patience, had been able to answer each of them to the best of his abilities. Issei had looked up to this man as his senior and knew the man would be there if he ever needed help. The events with Ayame had tarnished that relationship and he thought he had lost his mentor.

Now, he was looking at Ludwig von Siegfried in the same way as before.

"…What do I do now?" was all he could ask.

This feeling of weightlessness was not from his body. It was from his heart. He had driven himself into battles, becoming a hero for the people, for the sake of being the antithesis of what the Vampire was. He did not do it for the sake of justice, to save lives, or for some code of honor in himself. He didn't even do it for the sake of vengeance or for the memory of his parents. He drove himself to be the exact opposite of the Vampire. He grew more and more powerful, had dragged himself through blood, sweat, and tears on countless battlefields. He wanted to, one day, confront the Vampire and defeat his ultimate enemy. It was a dream he didn't think would happen.

But, it did. He defeated the Vampire.

And now he felt complete. But with that completion was stagnation. He had achieved his goal and he couldn't possibly feel any prouder with himself than ever before. He wanted to cry in joy and celebrate with his loved ones. But the thought at the back of his mind and heart was tugging at him. What was the point of his existence if he didn't have this opposition any further? The fuel to his fire was extinguished and now he felt so… empty.

He also didn't know why.

Ludwig bowed his head as he cupped both his hands at the top of his cane. "I don't know, son. Many have asked me this question before and I have never found the answer. They would ask me… what would I do if I could have my queen? Would I still serve her or would I rule as king? I _could _make up a few stories on what I believe I would do… However, these are things I would do and not you. You and I are very much different.

"I digress, this is an ancient question man has asked himself since their very beginning. As far back as Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit of knowledge. I believe, and this is my personal opinion, the answer is a lot simpler than people give it credit for.

"What do you _want _to do?"

He let the question hang in the air before gesturing once more with the robe. Issei moved, gritting his teeth as Ludwig helped swing his legs over and get him to stand up. The question floated in his mind, almost giving him something to focus on instead of the pain, as they moved slowly to fit one arm through each sleeve.

Issei pulled the IV in his left hand as he held on to Ludwig's arm with the other. They took steady steps towards the door. Very, _very _slow steady steps. It felt like his joints were rusty with spikes wedged between the bones. But, by the time they were in the hallway the pain was dulling down and he could begin to move more freely.

They both gave an audible groan when they reached the stairs.

After a glance to another and a nod shared, they began to tackle each step one at a time.

"You ever thought about replacing your knee?" Issei asked. He was only making conversation as a distraction.

"Lad, I've had this thing replaced thrice," the Second returned. He was grimacing whenever he needed to put weight on his right leg. "My grand ancestor bore a weakness in his invincibility. A small hole at his back the size of a leaf. It is a curse that has been in my family since then, simply expressed differently. I've had problems with my knee since I was a school boy."

Issei was sweating with heavy breath by the time they reached the final step. And they both released a soft sigh— Issei's louder than Ludwig's.

There was a sweet scent in the air. He could pick up a mixture of tea and coffee brewing along with a few baked sweets. The lingering smell of something spicy was still in the air, indicating dinner had just passed. He hadn't a clue what time it was but with the lights on and it being dark outside the windows it was clearly nighttime. There was also the sound of clattering of utensils and the soft splashing of water. However, he couldn't hear anyone talking.

They turned the corner and entered the main foyer. It was the large room that connected both the dining area and the living room.

His senses flared as the World warned him. He wouldn't be in any danger and would be inconvenienced at best. It still didn't stop him from locking his jaw and bracing for impact.

There was a moment of stillness as he was viewable to everyone. Half of the group were in the living room staring at the television while the other half were at the dining tables. Rias, Akeno, and Koneko were sitting on the couches drinking tea and eating snacks. Serene, Asia, and Sherry were in the kitchen cleaning the dishes. At the dining table were Irina, Yuuto… and for some reason Xenovia and another girl Issei had no clue who was.

Then, as Ludwig scooted away as his own instincts were telling him the same thing, the whole room imploded upon him.

"ISE!" a chorus of cries shouted.

"OOOOOF!" the wind was knocked out of his lungs by their gathered strength as well as the flare of pain on his body. It felt like he had ran straight into a wall.

He was knocked back and pushed against the wall as several of the girls tackled him. Rias was at his chest, sobbing under his chin. Akeno was at his left, wrapping her arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder. Asia, who was crying the hardest, wrapped her arms around his right arm and face planted onto his bicep. Koneko was wedged between Rias and Asia and trying her hardest to not cry and failing miserably.

For whatever reason he couldn't understand, Irina was wedged between Rias and Akeno. She was sobbing just as hard as the next girl and muttering prayers for him even when each word was hurting her.

Sherry was standing near the kitchen with her hands clenching the corners of the wall. She was looking at him and debating whether to join in on the fray or give him space. There was heavy relief in her eyes.

Serene stepped out in a moment, wiping her hands on the apron before taking it off and hanging it on the kitchen hanger. It had been his mother's apron and he had never touched it before. A small part of him hurt seeing her use it but he couldn't condemn her for using its intended purpose. She wasn't dressed in her nun attire; she bore a plain gray modest dress that went down to her ankles. She also kept her usual blank expression as she approached him.

"I'm glad to see you are better, Master," she opened with. Her dull eyes then looked at the sobbing girls taking up his personal space. "Girls. He is still wounded. And he is in pain."

Her words got them to realize what they were doing. Some let up while Rias and Asia refused to let go. They sobbed further and muttered apologies yet remained close to him regardless.

He sighed. Though there were assurances to see he was fine he could sense their fears and doubt. They didn't want to make space on the chance he would, what, kick the bucket? He didn't fully understand their thoughts but could acknowledge their emotions at least.

He patted both their heads. "Rias. Asia. Look, I'm fine. I wouldn't be on my feet if I wasn't."

"Ise… you idiot," sobbed Rias. But she smiled, wiped her tears, and stepped away.

Asia whimpered but moved away. She did, however, keep a firm grip on the sleeve of his robes almost like a small child not wanting to lose their parents.

"H-How are you feeling?" Rias asked with worry deep in her voice.

"Tired… hungry…" he answered dryly as he leaned against the IV stand. He knew he was hungry but he was also in so much pain he couldn't feel it. Everything in him hurt so he wasn't sure if his stomach was rumbling or if he was beyond that stage and his stomach was completely void. He hadn't eaten anyways since… well, a day before the mission.

"How long have I been out?" he asked.

Looks were shared. That wasn't a good sign.

"Almost a week," replied Serene as she gestured for him to take a seat. "It's now Wednesday… almost Thursday in a few hours."

So… five? Six days? The mission was on a Friday evening.

"We were expecting you to be out for much longer," chimed Akeno. She had her mirthful smile but there was also a tint of worry just as much as everyone else. She was watching him carefully and ready to bounce the moment he collapsed. "That man said if you didn't die you'd be out of commission for a good month."

That man. She had said that with such bitterness Issei could almost taste it.

"Rolan," Serene answered his unspoken question. Her eyes sharpened for an instant before returning to her tranquility. "Take a rest, Master. I shall heat something up for you. Sherry, will you like to assist me?"

Sherry, Ludwig's youngest maid, nearly jumped as soon as her name was called. She was in some sort of daze staring at him. At the request, she nodded and quickly returned to the kitchen. Every now and then she would flick her eyes at Issei.

"Sona was here a few days ago…" shared Rias. Her eyes were downcast. "She was worried… but she didn't want to stay. She told me what happened… She hasn't been around since but… Tsubaki shows up. I think she does on behalf of Sona's orders."

His heart began to hurt at the mention of Sona. But then… there was some joy in there as well. She had come to see him. And the Sitri Queen was probably sending reports to her King. It meant Sona still cared about him. Which meant there was still hope they could patch things up together.

"Hello, Hyoudou Issei," greeted Xenovia as the girls led him around. The Exorcist had gotten up from her seat to give a proper greeting. She even bowed. "I owe you my gratitude for coming to our rescue and an apology for when we last met. I had offended Argento-san and thus I offended you. Please forgive me."

Asia tugged on his sleeve and then spoke. "X-Xenovia apologized to me, Ise. She's really a nice person. She helped Kiba-kun a lot in his recovery…"

Issei took this chance to look at the Knight. The damn handsome wasn't fully recovered but he was still better looking than Issei in his prime. His face was still sunken in and there were some bags under his eyes. But he looked healthy enough and offered Issei a very tired smile.

He wasn't fooling Issei, though. There was no warmth in that smile. In fact, Yuuto looked to be lost in his own little world. There was a vacancy in his eyes as he watched everyone around him but never really focused. He looked… lost. Probably just as lost as Issei was currently.

What stole Issei's attention next was the little girl sitting on the Knight's lap. He had no idea who she was or where she came from. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. She couldn't be any older than… ten? Eleven? And she wore an elegant blue and white frilly dress. Her smile was bright was her teeth literally sparkled.

Her smile grew when she saw him staring. She offered a wave before humming a tune and enjoying the seat.

Yuuto didn't seem to like her. But he didn't force her off at the same time.

"…What happened while I was out?" Issei asked as they further led him into the living room. He didn't bother to give Xenovia a reply. He was too tired to think about formalities anyways. He didn't even care if he was being rude to her.

"…You don't remember?" Koneko asked from within his shadow.

He tried to recall things. Bits and pieces flashed through his mind. He remembered…

_A man made out of sunlight fighting a spawn of his enemy. The spawn needed to be killed. He blasted it into oblivion. The man of sunlight disappeared after. He felt tired. Oh so tired. He felt cold. Ever so cold. He was ready to sleep, but he feared the sleep. He would never wake up again._

_ He fell. Someone caught him. Someone small. With black hair. Eyes timeless, capable of seeing things not perceivable by him or mortals of his caliber._

His brow twitched. An impulse he had grown accustomed to. He remembered the next part clearly.

_She wore one of those damnable Red Blur hoodies. It was the same design Ayame had worn on that day he ditched school. Those timeless eyes continued to watch him. Dazzled. She combed the hair out of his face. The darkness was consuming him. He was growing colder. Sleep was coming._

_ A kiss. Someone kissed him. Warmth filled him. It slivered down his throat like a creature and rested in his stomach._

_ Sleep came still. But it was welcomed this time. He didn't fear it as he knew he would live to see another day._

"…Just bits and pieces," he eventually said. By the time they reached one of the couches, he released a heavy sigh he hadn't known he was keeping. The IV stand rested between his feet as he pulled his head back against one of the pillows. Rias sat at his left and Asia at his right. Akeno took the seat opposite them and Koneko snuggled herself into the loveseat. The Rook's knees were drawn under her chin as she hug her legs. They all couldn't take their gazes away from him.

There was a moment of silence in the room. Only the sound coming from the kitchen. They were waiting for him to continue. They knew he had more to say and were waiting on him with batted breath.

"…I'm Seventh," he said more so to himself than them. He blinked at this realization. "I'm Seventh. Heh. I… killed the Fourth. No, wait, Philips-san would be Fourth now, wouldn't he?"

It was strange to say and even stranger to have the assurances of the World confirm his words. He had to laugh at the surrealism of it all.

Asia's hands cupped his right hand. She looked sad. Not because of him but _for _him. He didn't know what to make of that look. Asia had been just as much of a victim to the Fourth's— to the Vampire's caprices as much as Issei was. According to Serene, Asia had lost her parents to the Vampire. He had also returned a second time in both their lives as Freed Sellzen. Thanks to him, Asia had her Sacred Gear torn out of her and left for dead.

And now it was over. The one who had hurt them the most was gone.

He squeezed her hand as tightly as he could, which wasn't strong at all if the best he could do was press her fingers together at best. She returned the squeeze with one of her own; it sent jolts of pain up his arm but he accepted them.

"It's… over…" he said aloud.

It really wasn't. He knew this. The Vampire was no more but that was only one small problem compared to everything else. He still had to deal with Rolan over Sona's marriage. He had until the first week of summer to find the necessary amount of candidates to participate in the Rating Game. That also meant Issei would have duties as a Demon Lord in the near future.

Then, there was the Evensong. It was coming closer. The noise of the beast pounding against the edge of the World was getting louder and louder.

Despite all this, it felt like for the first time since his parents were alive… Issei could breathe.

For starters, Serene was no longer bound to the Church. She was free to do whatever she wanted and had chosen to become his Queen. Of course, Issei would ask her again. He didn't want to make her his Queen just so she could escape the Church. If anything, he would want her through a clear conscience.

Asia could pray again. That had always been a boon for him for a while. But now, after what Serene revealed what Asia was, it felt even better for the blonde girl. If Serene hadn't told her yet, then Issei would. He could imagine the smile she would have after that.

Issei had also grown stronger. He could now push back his seniors— the unsurmountable beings he had always feared for the past three years despite being within their ranks. And if anyone wanted to mess with him, be they Predators or some other affiliation on the planet, then Issei could show them how bad of a mistake that would be. He was no bully, not by a long shot, and he wouldn't use his power to get what he wanted.

He could breathe because he knew there would be a level of peace now. No one would bother him or those who he loved. He didn't need to fear any of the other Predators stabbing him in the back or getting any of his friends and lovers caught in the mix. For once, even if it would be for a short while, he could live a normal life.

He silently whispered a prayer of thanks to his gods of debauchery. He had Rias and Asia, who he loved and had returned his love with their own. He had the makings of a harem!

As though reading his mind, Rias wrapped her arms around his neck and drew his head towards her chest. She ran her fingers through his hair as he used her glorious breasts as a pillow.

"B-Buchou!" cried Asia. "That's not fair!"

"Ara, ara," Akeno snickered from her spot. "Stealing him before any of us could? I must agree with Asia-chan."

"He is _my _boyfriend," argued Rias with a proud smile. She continued to stroke Issei lovingly. "Besides, she who strikes first is always the victor."

Asia puffed her cheeks and looked ready to cry. "H-He's mine too, Buchou…"

Koneko was too busy patting her own chest while glaring daggers at Rias' overcompensating rack.

The girls broke up into a small argument. Irina had joined in and then Sherry later. Serene had tried to calm them down but quickly gave up when none of the girls listened to her. Ludwig chuckled quietly to himself as he watched the engagement. Xenovia watched with intrigue, her eyes locked on Issei as though trying to figure out a way to make this situation in her favor. The girl sitting on Yuuto's lap made a comment and he only offered a half-hearted laugh.

And Issei… he had been long asleep almost as soon as Rias had claimed him. There was a small smile on his lips as he was warmed by the love of all those around him.

This was his family. And he loved all of them just as much as they loved him.

*Scene*

_"He… How the fuck?!" shouted Rolan as his eyes stared out towards the south. He looked crazed. His eyes were wide with shock._

_ The blood demon Philips had been sparring against shriveled for a moment. It let out a shriek, a sorrowful howl as it had sensed the death of its creator. But it changed nothing as it continued its rampage to stamp out the newly ascended Fourth Predator._

_ Philips didn't bother to dodge this time as the beast, taking the form of a rhinoceros with a centipede's legs, started to charge at him. _Radiance of the Sun _continued to blaze through his vigil. He simply stood his ground as he tucked his weapons away._

_ The beast drove at him. But he didn't flinch. He didn't even move. His body scorched through it as it continued to travel. It bellowed in pain as two-thirds of its body was incinerated by the powers of the Original Sun. Its body jerked and tried to reform into a new form based on how much of its flesh remained._

_ It was then the Dragoon arrived._

_ Issei Hyoudou was dripping with blood, had blood dried on his armor, and had his armor chipped, cracked, and shattered all over. Parts of his flesh were exposed and the meat under the metal was infected by a black taint. The skin looked long decayed. Yet he stood tall, hovering high above their heads. His eyes were locked on the blood demon._

_ The beast roared, recognizing the being who slew its creator. Its rage transcended its attention from Philips. It began to warp again into a creature of aviation. However, it couldn't finish in time._

_ There was a long barrel under Issei's left arm. He pointed its end at the beast and pulled the trigger. There was the ear-popping burst of cannon fire, but no shot was visibly seen._

_ Still, the creature was no more. It simply vanished._

_ His eyes then turned towards Philips. The barrel was raised._

_ Philips immediately returned his authority to its normal settings. To everyone else, he disappeared off the face of the planet. Not even their Predator instincts could find him as he was invisible to even the World. Only Rolan could see him._

_ And Ophis. She had seen the Original Sun as well._

_ Philips slouched. He had spent nineteen seconds with the reverse _Radiance. _He had more than enough time to last longer but even at this shortened exposure he felt weakened._

_ "My word…" Ludwig said next as he stared up at Issei. "He… He did it…"_

_ Even Serene looked taken aback. Her eyes were wide and full of disbelief. With the Vampire no more, his barrier had lost its power. The World was back in control over them. She should have been forced back into the mindset of acceptance. But it was the knowledge of Heaven's greatest adversary, who surpassed even the ancient Earth Mother, that shook her._

_ Issei had won. No, he had triumphed. He didn't just defeat his opponent. He had killed the Vampire._

_ "Ise…" one of his girls called out to him. Rolan wasn't sure which one. He didn't give a fuck either way._

_ Issei's Gift of Flight deactivated. No, it looked more like it had lost its fuel as it blinked out after sputtering a few last breaths of its radiant light. He dropped to the ground without hesitation. His armor shattered into a thousand motes of red light._

_ His body was in a worse condition than anyone could have believed. His skin was raw. Some parts were rubbed down to the bone. And what skin remained was either pinkish, pussing with green and yellow ooze, or decaying with dark greens and blacks. Blood followed in a trail as he fell._

_ The girls screamed his name and rushed to catch him. But they wouldn't make it._

_ His landing was softened. There was no concussive force as a greater mystery caught him like an invisible pillow. And the crafter even had the audacity, or perhaps privilege depending on the instigator, of resting his head against her lap._

_ Rolan gulped. Ophis had revealed herself before everyone._

_ "Hold. Hold!" shouted Ludwig. His Knights obeyed but not without confused looks. "Stay back!"_

_ It was the deep fear in his voice that got everyone to stop moving. Even the girls from the Gremory group. They all knew Ludwig was a Predator, or at least a figure of extreme power based on how much he displayed on the fight just now. For him to be afraid of something spoke measurements of the thing that would warrant such a reaction._

_ Ophis smiled as the world around her was nothing but background noise. It wasn't one of the expressions she shared to mimic human emotions. It was genuine. She was, however the hell such a Primordial processed the emotion or the equivalency of, _happy.

_She stroked the hair out of Issei's face. His body was shivering uncontrollably. "Hello, Issei Hyoudou. I, am a big fan. I, like your show."_

_ She paused, blinking slowly as she looked at him. Really looked at him. Her eyes moved throughout his body with her brows raising. It was as though she _just _realized the condition he was in._

_ "You will die soon. I, wish to see your growth a little longer. I, may need you when I challenge Stupid Red."_

_ Power. Such a word that was tossed around a lot these days. Everyone always said Rolan had power. Be it political, military, or just in the metaphorical sense. Sure, he could level whole cities. He could probably freeze the entire ocean if he put some thought into it. Not just a single ocean, but the _whole _body of water on the planet. Just because he could do it they said he had power._

_ He _had _power. Ophis, in comparison, _was _power._

_ Every breath was power. Every heartbeat was power. Every thought and whim was power. Everyone could feel it as she released the smallest speck of her infinite reserves. The incarnation of the Law of Nothing was brimming in it. It reminded him how much power he _didn't _have._

_ She leaned forward and raised his chin with one of her dainty fingers._

_ He nearly gagged. She, in the body of a ten-year-old, kissed Issei._

_ Nobody moved. Nobody dared. Her power was still swimming in the air and caused everyone to stay still. No matter how much Issei's girls wanted to protest they remained where they would. Rolan noted Ophis was kissing him longer than necessary._

_ He also noticed how she inserted one of her Snakes through that kiss._

_ When it was done, when she lifted her head and smiled down at him in one of her genuine expressions—_

_ …Holy shit was she _blushing?!

—_Issei took in a large, deep breath of air. He stopped shivering. He released his breath and slowly shut his eyes._

_ Ophis lowered his head from her lap and onto the ground. She stood, patted the dirt off her hoodie— perhaps actually concerned about it getting ruined rather than mimicking another human gesture— and then moved away from Issei. Still, nobody moved. They all watched her without blinking._

_ "It was good to see you again, Chase," she said towards him. Towards him, not at him. She was still distracted by her private moment. He could have said anything at her, be it a compliment or an insult, and it would never reach her. Her eyes were staring into the infinite cosmos only she could perceive._

_ Her eyes flickered towards him. They focused… not on him but something behind him. At Philips? No, past him even._

_ With a wave of her hand, something broke through the ground._

_ Vali Lucifer, the vessel for the Divine Dividing, was surfaced. His body had succumbed to the damages Issei had inflicted on him at some point— probably when Philips tore the entire building down on top of them. With just a thought, Ophis lifted him up into the air and towards her._

_ She looked at him, tilting her head slightly as though examining a puzzle. Not a complicated one, it would seem. Something had flashed in her eyes._

_ Rolan blinked. She was suddenly wearing the limited edition White Chaser hoodie. Her smile returned._

_ And then, just like that, she was gone. Simply gone without a trace._

_ Rolan made an audible groan and sank to his knees. As did Ludwig, except he took a seat on a pile of rubble instead of collapsing. Even Serene looked weary. Philips looked unshaken, but then again he always looked that way. Rolan couldn't tell what he was really feeling—_

_ Strike that. Philips removed his helmet, took a few steps to the side, and released the contents of his stomach. The Tactical Hunter's nerves had been shaken enough._

_ It was within reason. They all felt the compulsion to battle against Ophis even if it meant their absolute death. To be exact, it would have finished in their absolute death. Ophis was something far beyond their reach, especially right now with the Vampire killed and Issei wounded. Yet the World wanted them to try anyways._

_ "Ise!"_

_ With Ophis gone, normalcy returned. Or, a level of normalcy enough when in the middle of a tarnished battlefield surrounded by the world's Ultimate Killers. The Gremory group rushed immediately to the Dragoon's side and tried to tend to his wounds. Asia worked her Twilight Healing while Serene drank as much sin from him as she could. But there was only so much either of them could do. The decay had originated from the Vampire. Rolan wasn't sure if there was an applicable cure for it; he normally just burnt it away rather than concocting an antidote._

_ Serene's head jerked upwards. Creyroux was in her hand once more as she circled around Issei. She raised it with its tip pointed…_

_ At Saint Virtue. The elderly Living Saint, who had done _nothing _throughout the exchange, had started to make his move. His robes were glowing with runes Rolan recognized. Things of healing, of increasing one's spirit, courage, focus, cognitive functions, perception of time, of physical augmentations, of wardings against magic, devilry, other weapons of light, elemental energies, psychic attacks… There was more to it. A lot more. There were just as many offensive charms on his robes as there were defensive and supportive. He was, in essence, a walking fortress._

_ That, of course, would just be his robes. He also had a series of weapons hidden underneath as well as his power of Miracles. Virtue was the most powerful Living Saint who could surpass Serene's Miracles._

_ "You will stay back, Virtue," Serene warned._

_ He was not afraid of her weapon. He probably had something in his arsenal to counter her power over sin. "Serene, no, Amelia Rosewood. You will stand aside. I will be freeing you from the bonds of your slaver and bring you back to the path of righteousness. Your soul can still be salvaged. Come with me or stand aside. With the death of the Devil's Dragoon and the return of the True Excalibur, Heaven will be stronger than—"_

_ "I'm going to have to stop you right there," Rolan spoke up. Heads turned towards him as he walked towards the group. He had been in the far back, keeping to himself and out of the battle. He still had to protect Xenovia after all._

_ Virtue's eyes narrowed. "You."_

_ "Me."_

_ "You are the one who stole our Divine Beast from us before. I know you. Mercenary, Heaven has not forgotten your sacrilege."_

_ "You people keep acting like I give a fuck about what Heaven thinks," there was an edge in his voice. His anger was rising. Tongues of flame spat out of his mouth. "You don't know who I am, do you? Well, this is fan-fucking-tastic then."_

_ "I can handle myself, Chase," Serene rebutted._

_ "Fuck off, Amy," he snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, Adaulfo, I've recently become a Devil as well. But it's not like you fuckers never pissed me off before. You Church pussies and the Heavenly assholes have been my enemies since Israel. You weren't there, Siegfried-Germanicus, when they took Serene. When they dragged her back against her will. When they forced her to promise to stop me from freeing her._

_ "Well, she's no longer your damn dog. Which means there's nothing protecting you fucks. Which means I am free to burn every single last one of you. And burn them I will. I know the names of every Living Saint. I know every Exorcist, every Paladin, every Inquisitor, every Templar, every mother fucking pedophile on your goddamn roster._

_ "You people had your fun. You made the mistake of pissing me off. Now, I'm going to kill every last one of you fucks so the Church can't rebuild from the ashes."_

_ "Well then…" Serene began but didn't bother to finish her statement. She shared a look with Rolan for a moment before dismissing Creyroux and stepping aside._

_ Virtue, however, was fuming. His face was red with rage as his body shook. He couldn't move, however. His name had been invoked._

_ "Heathen!" it didn't stop him from cursing though. "You will be the one to burn! Heaven will not stand aside as you strike down its chosen—"_

_ Rolan made a small gesture with his hands._

_ Saint Virtue's head erupted into a gory explosion as flames burst from within his skull. The blood, bone, and gray matter within had disintegrated before any of it could reach any party member. The force of the blast had torn open his collar and knocked his body back. It had been so thorough no blood leaked from the gaping wound._

_ For all his defenses, Virtue had been powerless to stop Rolan. His Flame had penetrated every ward and holy protection._

_ "You saw," he stated at the Gremory group, who was staring at him with horrified looks. "There you go. Plan accordingly. If the fucker doesn't die from his wounds he'll be back and up around a month, give or take a week or so. Make sure he's ready for our little match."_

_ "M-Mister Chase…" Asia spoke up. She stood, but didn't approach him. There was more horror on her face than any of the others. Despite how he threw her under the bus with the Vampire, on numerous occasions at that, she still held a light for him. Even now. "Those things you said. You're not really going to—"_

_ "I'm going to destroy the Church," he said without any hesitation. "It was a promise I made to myself when they forced Serene into their slavery. Be glad you're on this side."_

_ Her eyes widened. She realized immediately what he was implying. Rolan would be going after anyone belonging to the Church indiscriminately. Even if they were innocent. If Asia had stayed in the Church, he might have gone after her just as much as any other._

_ She took a few steps back, shaking her head in denial but couldn't voice her words._

_ "O-Onii-sama won't let you!" Rias shouted. "Do you have any idea what this will mean?! You are a Devil as well! You'll force Heaven to retaliate!"_

_ "Hmm…" was his reply. It was entirely dismissive. "I'm also King Oberon. They'll sooner try to attack the Fae than the Devils. Especially when I have their stupid sword…"_

_ He raised his hand as if to reach for the blade resting against Kiba's shoulder at the far end of the ruined cathedral. The blade shifted slightly but remained still._

_ His brows furrowed at this. He put a bit more will into his mental command and compelled the blade to his hand._

_ It twitched more violently, began to lean towards him, but then slammed back onto Kiba's shoulder._

_ "Son of a fucking bitch…" cursed Rolan under his breath. He tried one more time. "By my name, King Oberon, come to me!"_

_ Excalibur shook. And then it began to glow._

_ "No!" it shouted._

_ Heads turned towards Yuuto Kiba as soon as the light faded. There, resting on his lap with its arms wrapped around his neck, was a small girl. Blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin… she even had the same signature as the Gremory Knight. A lavish dress of blue and white with golden ribbons was donned._

_ "No!" she repeated more clearly. "I'ma stayin' with Papa!"_

_ She even stuck her tongue out at him._

_ "Fuck it!" shouted Rolan. He threw his hands up in the air and turned his back on everyone. "Chase. America. Going home where everything makes fucking sense! Fuck you Japan, fuck you! If this was _anywhere else _Excalibur wouldn't have turned into a fucking loli girl! Instead we get that fucking loli girl, the single most powerful loli girl in the entire fucking cosmos shows up and makes out with the world's worst pervert, the Vampire dies— which is fucking impossible!— and a Devil is a fucking Living Saint! Fuck! This is why I don't go to Japan!"_

_ No one knew how to react when the Sixth… or was it Fifth now? The Fifth Predator ranted on, waving his hands around and throwing a tantrum like a child._

_ "You… You knew about Asia?" Serene asked with wide eyes._

_ "Eh?" the person mentioned swiveled her head between Serene and Rolan. Cluelessness was in her eyes. When he said something about a Devil being a Living Saint… she had thought he was referring to Serene. But…_

_ "Asia… was chosen for the Holy Sword Project back then…" he stated in an aggravated voice. He scratched his head vigorously almost like how one would when carrying lice. He was simply frustrated and couldn't control his emotions at this state. "Doesn't take a fucking genius to piece things together. Why do you think I sent her here? Fucking why would I leave her in that shithole? But I don't get how she got her Miracles back when… Fuck it. Don't answer it. This is Japan. Only shit like that happens here. I'm leaving now."_

_ He waved his hand at the open space in front of him. Space split open as a dark portal opened up. They could make out some sort of human figure standing in the doorway but couldn't define the details within. But they could see a gloved hand reach out for him. He almost took it._

_ "Wait!" Rias called out to him one last time. "Kiba! How do we put his Sacred Gear back—"_

_ His reply was to give her the middle finger and step inside the portal._

_ It shut close right after._

_ "…What a child," commented Koneko._

*Scene*

"Siegfried-sensei," Rias spoke softly when their small argument had died down. She had won in the end and continued to bask in the glory of embracing her lover. It was for her lover was she worried. "The girl that… that kissed Ise. Who was she?"

Ludwig took the moment to gather his thoughts. He sipped the coffee Serene had brewed for the two of them. The two Predators shared a look at another.

He answered, "I suppose you deserve to know a few things. Understand I cannot tell you everything; that is for Master Hyoudou to share with you. That girl you saw… her name is Ophis."

Rias blanched. "T-The Ouroboros Dragon God of Infinity?!"

"That is the one," he nodded sagely as he sipped his coffee again. He needed it to draw out time and for Rias to compose herself. The rest of the children in the area were waiting anxiously for more information. "I cannot share with you her purpose in… all this."

He made a sway with his hand, a gesture that meant generally anything. But he was implying the duties of Serene, Issei, and himself.

"Other than that," he went on, "I am afraid my intelligence is limited. I know not why she was drawn towards Master Hyoudou. At the least we know she is responsible for his Gift of Seduction."

He finished with a dry chuckle. He intentionally left that for them to soak in as he drank another sip of his coffee.

"…His what?" Akeno had asked.

"The Gift of Seduction," he answered calmly, as if it were nothing of grand importance. It was his way of teasing them, calming their nerves in a sense. "It is another one of the Gifts much like his Flight and my Craft. It is granted to the human who has successfully charmed a Dragon— that's with a capital 'D', mind you— to be in their favor. It would seem the Ouroboros has taken a liking to Master Hyoudou."

"…We said no more," pouted Koneko. Her feline eyes now glared daggers a hundred times as intense at Issei as opposed to her glare with Rias. Issei's lips twitched in his sleep.

"I believe Chase explained it was with _Primordials, _not Dragons," commented Serene.

"Bah," Ludwig waved it off with a half-hearted scowl. "You believe in his nonsense? It was a Dragon I slew, an Evil Dragon that Artemis boy slew, a Dragon my Trist slew, and a Dragon Master Hyoudou slew. These are Gifts of draconian origins. Why would they come from Sir Rolan's _gods_?"

"Oh ye of little faith," said Serene as she sipped her own coffee. It wasn't missed by Ludwig how she used that tactic to hide her smile. He smiled for her, inwardly of course— he wouldn't dream of showing his content for her until he learned of her true intentions. Serene was starting to thaw out and express herself more openly. Small things here and there, he had noticed. But grand things when it came from a woman who never showed anything beyond _acceptance._

Ludwig felt a tinge of pride for Issei. The boy was a marvel. He remembered when Issei was so quiet, so shy and scared. He shared a few stories of his friends… Motohama, Matsuda, and Sona. Well, Sona hadn't been a genuine friend back then but it was clear the boy had cared deeply for her. That, and she had a nice pair of tits that Ludwig was reminded of over and over again.

In such a short amount of time, Issei had been able to make his circle grow. He had a bountiful amount of maidens who loved him. His influence was growing. The reports Ludwig had received over the few days had proven how serious of a power figure the boy was becoming. News had reached far and wide over the death of the Vampire. Heaven was shaking, the Devils were celebrating, and just about every other faction was trying to get in touch and talking about peace.

But the biggest prize, at least in Ludwig's opinion, was Serene. She was loyal to Issei. She would die for him, he knew. And she was smiling, overwhelmed with such joy not even her bleak mindset as a Predator could keep the warmth down.

Why… he hadn't seen her smile like this since those six months she lived with Sir Rolan.

Now if he could get it through the boy's thick skull that Sherry and Ayame were the same person. He thought about telling him on numerous occasions. But… this was Sherry's wish. She wanted to warm her way into his heart before revealing herself. Why, Ludwig couldn't fathom. But she seemed to know Issei the best.

She better make it happen soon. The longer this little charade happened the deeper of a wound she would inflict on the boy. It was because of his did Ludwig meddle. He had always intended on giving Issei the information the British held on Sir Rolan but instead he dangled it over his head at a price. One week to share with Sherry— that was all. If she did not make her move by then, well, it'd be best she'd never see him again.

"Second Predator."

Ludwig raised a brow at the addressing. As did others. Heads had turned towards the boy sitting at the far end of the table they were sharing. Even the little girl, Excalibur given human shape, looked up at him with startling eyes.

Sir Rolan had sworn it was Japan and its strange phenomena to have the supernatural, occult, and simply weird events gather on its lands that made Excalibur become this way. Personally, Ludwig believed it was the Fae and their tendencies to screw with their High King. A small prank, in their own twisted sense of humor.

The little girl-sword had stuck to Kiba like glue. Wherever he went, she followed. He had tried endlessly to shoo her away, dismissing her into motes of energy such as how he would when dismissing one of his creations of Sword Birth. But she always returned, sometimes with a vengeance. Sometimes she would reappear with such force she would tackle him to the ground after latching onto his face. It had been comical at first. But then it quickly grew annoying— especially towards the poor lad. He eventually gave up but set some ground rules… such as when he needed to use the privy.

Right now, Kiba was looking at Ludwig with a hardened expression. One of loathing Ludwig had seen many a times. He had kept it to himself for the sake of his compatriots but couldn't hold it in any longer.

"What can I do for you, Good Kiba?" Ludwig answered calmly and professionally. His eyes had sharpened as he took on the mantle of Her Majesty's Knight of Honor.

"…The Holy Sword Project," he stated in a low voice. He was ready to burst into an outrage. "How much of it was true? How much did you have a hand in it?"

"Papa…" Excalibur pulled on his shirt but he swatted her hand away.

"Hmm… That…" Ludwig nodded. He stalled for time once more by finishing the last of his coffee.

It was a mistake. Kiba slammed his fist against the table and shouted. "My friends died because of you people! And for what?!"

Rias had opened her mouth to reprimand her Knight, but suddenly closed it. Her face was downcast as well as the others. Most of the Gremory peerage had known about the happenstance with Kiba while the more recent members had been informed within the past few days. Kiba had lost everything in the Holy Sword Project. There was a deep fire for revenge still brewing in his heart but he no longer had anyone to direct it towards since those he thought responsible were gone.

Ludwig stared at the young man long and hard. Unflinching. If the boy was going to try to challenge him, then Ludwig would not hold back.

Excalibur met his gaze trying to protect her… father. Or, tried to at least. She ducked her head and rested it below the boy's chin in fright. Kiba remained stubborn but eventually he had to look away for he couldn't match the glare.

"Do not challenge something you know you cannot defeat," Ludwig instructed. "There are forces out there less forgiving than I am and would strike you down in the name of their arrogance."

"…My question," Kiba replied, almost demanded. His expression was crossed between rage and desperation as he shook his head. "…Please."

"The Holy Sword Project was a proposition fasted by Sir Rolan," Ludwig began. His hand left the coffee mug as he sat erect and hands resting on the edge of the table. He drummed his fingers as he talked, gaining a look from Serene but was ignored. "We were all a part of it in our own way. Every one of us had a small responsibility. Even I. Even the Vampire. We are all guilty of the things that took place behind those closed doors.

"I could tell you all the good that came out of it. I could tell you all the evil that transpired. But that's not what you want to hear, is it? No, you only want to know who it to point your sword at. You are unsatisfied Valper Galilei was killed before you could have your vengeance… justice… whichever you prefer to call it. You are even unsatisfied it was Master Hyoudou who took it from you against the Vampire.

"But you know who it is," he said with a voice on edge. "We are. We created the Holy Sword Project and had a deep hand in its affairs. We are all responsible for the good and evil that came from it. And I shall have you know this was not the first side-project to create more of our kind. Nor was it the last.

"Now, what will you do with this knowledge?"

Kiba gritted his teeth as his fists curled up to the point of nearly breaking skin. Excalibur placed a comforting hand on top of his and tried to sooth him. His eyes snapped at hers and the reminder of _what _she was only increased his ire. His eyes were full of such hatred Ludwig believed he would strike at her. She was the final conclusion of the fiasco that ruined him.

She looked up at him, pleading and begging for him not to be angry with her. Her eyes shone with love and heartbreak. But it was not enough. His anger would not reside. She vanished into motes of light. Either dismissed by Kiba or on her own volition.

"Sister Serene…" came Asia. "It's not true… is it? You… You wouldn't do all those things… and Mister Chase… he wouldn't."

"But we did," Serene replied calmly. She spoke in the same tranquil tone one would comment on the weather. "I was in charge of locating those who had the highest potential of becoming Living Saints. Some had just enough grace within them to become influential figureheads when they became of age and then there were those who could awaken as a Living Saint by puberty. We had the Inquisitors gather and interview them."

"Then…" Akeno stood up and approached the table. Her smile was gone. Only bitterness remained. "_You _were the one to bring Kiba-kun there…?"

Serene tilted her head and thought for a moment. "As I said, I was in charge of locating them. It was the Inquisitors who did most of the manual labors. But… there was the occasion where I, Saint Virtue, or Saint Choir had to do it. Yes, I do remember meeting the young man. He would have made for a Paladin at best with his level of grace… I believe the orphanage children called him… David? Was it?"

She brought her fingers to her lips in thought, trying to recall an event that had happened years ago. She blatantly ignored Kiba's howl of outrage. He almost came at her but was stopped by Xenovia and Irina. Not even the words from his master could calm him down.

Ludwig glanced over at the Divine Beast, pondering what her intentions were for revealing such information. As the face of the Church she had been well versed in the art of diplomacy. She could have revealed the truth in such a way that would have left Kiba upset at best. Instead, she had been sloppy in her delivery. It was becoming worse as her tranquility was being seen as apathy.

"…Having that said," she began slowly, waiting patiently for the boy to calm down enough to hear her next words. It took a moment for the two Exorcists— _former _Exorcists to get him back in his chair. Xenovia kept a firm hand on his shoulder while Irina took a few steps away but ready to catch him again.

"I refuse to accept any of the responsibility in aftermath of the Holy Sword Project," her brows furrowed slightly. Just enough for everyone to see her frustration. "It was sickening and I wanted no part in it. But, I digress, the Gathering of Heaven would never allow any Living Saint, especially their Divine Beast, to go against their will. I did horrible and blasphemous things, regardless if they were in the name of _their _good. But I shall not apologize for them when I never had a say in the matter whatsoever."

"You're telling me the Church forced you?" Kiba snarled with disbelief.

"They did," Serene nodded, her brows furrowing further. Her frustration quickly became disgust. "I share no love for the Church. I am _glad _Chase is wiping them out of existence. Since I was a little girl, younger than when you were taken for the Holy Sword Project, they have used me as their mascot and greatest weapon. The Gathering of Heaven has the list of every Living Saint's true name and can compel them to do anything. Most comply willingly but there are those who despise the Church, myself included."

"And now… you are a Devil," Ludwig stated.

"Now, I am… free," Serene tasted the word and found she liked it. There was a cruel, twisted smile on his lips. "But I am no Devil. Not yet. I have only lost the grace that made me a Living Saint. The contamination from my master's Queen Piece was more than enough for me to betray the Laws of Heaven."

"But… Madame Serene… you said…" Irina began with wide eyes.

"I lied," Serene retorted, returning to her tranquil expression with unreal ease. "I tend to do that, Irina. The Church has taught me to be an avid liar."

"You being Ise-kun's Queen hasn't changed anything," Kiba regained the attention. "Don't think because he trusts you that I will."

"That _we _will," corrected Rias. She had laid Issei down on the couch and approached the conference. "Don't think we've forgotten what you've already done to Ise and how much you've put him through. That includes Asia and Ayame for that matter. Will you blame the Church again for that as well, Divine Beast?"

Serene gazed at Rias with an expression almost akin to curiosity. It wasn't entirely so as it was mixed with a plethora of other emotions, most of which were unreadable. The only other emotions readable was defiance, arrogance, and, dare she say, delight.

"Only partially, and not in the direct sense," the Third Predator replied casually. "They did not force me to do it in their usual manner. It was more so… indirect. A threat, let's call it. Asia was once known as the Holy Maiden. She was another one of the Church's prized possessions and was vicious towards anything that might steal her away. When the Astaroth Devil came and she healed him, the scandal could have easily been kept silent. She could have remained in the Church.

"I found an opening. I caused the scandal to escalate beyond the Church's usual means of bribery and assassinations. News of the Holy Maiden becoming a Witch had reached beyond the Church's means of control. She was forced to be excommunicated… but to be shipped off to another facility of the Church elsewhere. It was on Chase's part was she smuggled out of the country and sent here to Japan. It was also convenient the Dragoon's territory was shared by the Devils…"

While Asia listened, she kept her hands pressed over her mouth. Her complexion was ghastly pale. Serene had announced the Church had killed people in the name of keeping her act of healing a Devil a secret. She had also shared it was her who made all those people hate Asia and condemning her a Witch.

"Why?" she asked. "Sister Serene… why?"

At the sound of her voice, Serene had lost her tranquility. Her eyes looked sunken, aged, and weary. She looked older than she was supposed to be.

"You are a Living Saint, Asia," she answered after a heavy sigh. "You awakened a few years after your Sacred Gear had."

There was more she wanted to say. Explanations and stories— her mouth was open and ready to say these things. But she only gave another weary sigh and sipped her lukewarm coffee. She also couldn't look Asia in the eye.

Asia's world was spinning. Potential futures she was seeing had been robbed from her. People she could have saved or helped as a Living Saint just as Serene of Finland had once been was no longer possible. It had been her pride and joy as well as her reason for living when she had been the Holy Maiden. It warmed her empty heart to see the people thanking her on a daily basis.

"I want to say something before this gets any more out of hand."

Issei entered the group with his IV stand in his hand. His steps were slow and steady but not as heavy as they were previously. He looked to be a bit livelier with only the few minutes he had slept.

"Ise, why are you awake?" Rias was at his side and tried to push him back towards the couch. He wouldn't move though as his feet were firmly planted to the floor. "You need your rest and—"

"It's kinda hard to sleep with all this shouting…" he sighed. Rias had looked hurt and apologetic by his words. But grabbed her hand and gave it a firm squeeze to assure it everything was alright. "I feel like I need to stand anyways. I'm tired of being in bed."

"You should listen to the request of your master, Master," Serene turned to look at her unofficial King. "You are still recovering from your battle. You mustn't burden your mind with—"

"Thank you, Amelia," he cut her off and did his best to give her a bow.

"…I'm sorry?" even she had been taken aback.

"It's probably not the right thing to say. It's probably the worst. But I mean it. Thank you. I would have never met Asia. And… I know how miserable Asia was at the Church. She didn't have a single friend but now… everyone loves her at school. I don't know if it was the right thing to do but… I think it was all for the better in the end…"

"Ise…" muttered Asia. Whatever conflict she had within herself had been washed away by his words. She believed he was right.

"…You are too nice, Master," Serene scolded. "That is not a welcoming trait as a Predator."

"No one actually gave me a guidebook to follow," he muttered below his breath as he scratched his head. "I can be nice if I want to. That doesn't mean I trust you either, so you know. I'm still going to be keeping my eye on you. But right now… we start with a clean slate. So, if you don't mind, I would like my Queen Piece back."

Serene blinked. "You… do not wish for me to be your Queen? We had a deal, Master. I wish to finish my end of it."

"I don't want you to be my Queen because of something like that," he shook his head. "I'm no better than the Church you hate so otherwise. You're free now. You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want. So long as you don't cause any trouble you're welcome back here whenever you want."

Everyone was quiet as they watched Serene's reaction. She bowed her head with her eyes staring at the floor in thought. Her hands had went towards one of the pockets on her dress and pulled out the white Queen Piece. It had been chipped with a series of scratches on it. It was worn down due to her influence of sin even for a short period of time. She had only bonded with it for roughly an hour and it was already so beaten.

She stood, paced towards Issei, and lifted it up for him to receive. Their eyes had met. Both of them gratuitous for the other in their own ways.

She did not let go, however.

"Then I have a request, Issei," she said. "As a free person. You say I can walk out of here right now and you will not hold it against me?"

"…You can do whatever you want," he said carefully, unsure where she was going with all this.

She nodded. A smile filled her lips. It made her look radiant.

"Then I ask, as a free woman, if you will have me as your servant. It doesn't matter to me if I am to be your Queen or any other Piece. I wish to stay. Forever."

Her smile knocked the air out of his lungs. He had never seen such a beautiful thing before. Dare he say it transcended the pure smile of Asia and the radiant love from Rias?! He could feel his cheeks heat up as the thought of he and Serene being together forever. It was almost like a marriage proposal—

His senses flared. Danger was coming in three seconds and closing! He spun around but his reactions were slowed.

"We said no more!" shouted Koneko as she threw the nearest thing she could grab… which had been the whole coffee table in the living room.

It struck him in the back of the head. Had he been in the peak of his health it wouldn't have phased him. But in his condition, he went down face-first onto the floor. And he was unconscious for the remainder of the night.

"Koneko!" cried Rias as she, Asia, and a few of the other girls went to the dragon's aid. "He's injured! I'm just as frustrated as you are but that wasn't necessary!"

"Oh dear…" Serene said as she hunched over Issei's collapsed form. She didn't bother to revive him. "You misunderstand. I have no romantic interest in him. I will not get in your way of your pursuits."

"No but you fired the first shots, Oba-san," Akeno gave the _older _woman an icy glare and a venomous smile. "War has been declared."

"I'm twenty-three," Serene countered with a blunt stare of her own.

"You've been twenty-three for the past twelve years," chuckled Ludwig. He stood and pushed his seat back under the table. "Everything seems to be in order here. I will excuse myself. Call me if anything stirs, but I'm more than sure nothing will…"

He didn't bother to finish his sentence. No one was listening to him. The girls were too busy fighting over who it was to take care of Issei. They began to pull on his limbs like children fighting over a ragdoll. The poor lad. He had no idea what he had gotten himself into.

"Sherry," he called to the little girl finishing the dishes. Rather, she had been finished for quite some time and was only finding meticulous things to occupy her reason for staying in the kitchen. She didn't want to disturb anyone, especially her beloved brother. He had accepted to bring her along for the sake of showing her he was better. Nothing more.

"Come child, we're heading home."

She was at his side with his coat and hat at the ready. He thanked her as they both put on their attire. Summer was drawing near but the nights were still chilly. She took a moment to look back at the charade still going on. Her eyes longed on Issei's still form until she forced herself to look away.

"Stupid Ise-nii…" she muttered as she opened the door for Ludwig.

He thanked her politely as his eyes locked on Kiba's one last time. The young man was staring intently on him, sending him this silent message that he will find his way around Ludwig's warning. The business regarding the Holy Sword Project was incomplete, to him at least. The boy would continue to hold a grudge… and Ludwig shall accept that. He was guilty of doing far worse in the name of his queen anyhow.

He nodded in respect towards Kiba before walking out the door. Nakashima Ayame gave the Gremory Knight a wave with pleading eyes to watch for her brother in her stead before shutting the door behind them.

*Scene*

Ophis slit her wrist and poured the blood into the funnel. It was a steady process filling the pouch to the right amount. The first attempt had her overfilling it. The second hadn't been enough. She got it right by the third time and every other after that.

Having its fill, she withdrew her hand and sealed both pouch and wound with her mysteries. With steady and patient care, she tucked it within the cooler and went to look for the tape. She knew she had it resting somewhere in her room but… ah, there it was.

When she returned, but only a second with her back turned, there was a second pouch of blood resting on top of hers. She eyed it curiously, pondering for a moment how it had appeared without her knowledge. But then she realized where the blood had come from. After all, there was only one person in the entire omniverse who could sneak around her.

Stupid Red. That's who.

She had half a mind to toss his gross, contaminated, _inferior _blood into the Abyss. But then she stopped and thought further about the action. Why would he bother himself with doing something as menial as this? He had been more interested in fighting the Triangular Beast. Getting him to work with her and her minions had been a godsend with his selfish tendencies and that had only been because she was trying to break the Heavenly Father's seals. Their plans coincided.

So… what the hell was this?

She frowned as she picked up the pouch, only by its tips. She didn't dare to touch _his _blood, even indirectly. But she couldn't deny its worth. By drinking this she could become far more powerful and inherit some of his Dream properties, if not only temporarily. It was tempting. But she knew it would only be enough to defeat the avatar Stupid Red had in this world and not the _actual _Dragon roaming around in the Dimensional Gap.

But, to someone like Issei Hyoudou… his ascension to a Dravirik Lae'cueri would hasten. Combined with her blood and her Snake morphing his flesh and power…

The pouch was tossed back into the cooler. But she put a note on there to have Stupid Red's blood used after hers… as a sort of final treatment. Hopefully Sir Siegfried would comply.

Taping everything together and fitting it all into a neat Styrofoam box and then put that box into a cardboard box… and then taping everything together one final time, she stamped the top with a sticker.

_To Hyoudou Residence, _it said. No actual address.

She opened up a portal and chucked the box within. It would reach its destination, she knew.

The idea of having the Red Blur as her champion made her want to go into the future and watch the upcoming movie. But, unfortunately, she had other pressing matters to attend to.

Vali Lucifer, the White Chaser, was beginning to stir from his sleep. She needed to see if there was any backlash from being dead for so long. She hoped he still had his Sacred Gear. It would be a bother to her if he could no longer qualify as her favorite theatrical antagonist if [Rejection] moved on to its next host.

Ophis grabbed her Plush Chaser before leaving the room and locking the door. She wanted him to sign it.

*Scene*

The Vampire was dead.

Rolan repeated this in his head for several days and still couldn't believe it. The man had been a parasite that had never wasted away no matter the environment. He was as much of a survivor as Rolan had been. They both survived against the war in their old world, had fought against forces that were the bane of their existences, and had faced an army of beings that could reduce their abilities to nothing more than flashy light shows. The game had ended, the world had died out, and a new Ruler had taken its place. The Ruler had wiped the board clean and started the current world. And Rolan, Philips, and Four had survived.

His paranoia continued to tell him the Vampire was still out there somewhere. A broken and beaten fragment of himself, no bigger than a cockroach or even a grain of rice, but more and more evidence surfaced as the days went. The world was changing. Rather than it decaying from both the authorities of the Earth Mother and the Heavenly Father vanishing, the world seemed to be thriving. As though a series of chains placed on it had been undone and now it was free to flourish in all its glory.

It meant the Earth Mother and the Heavenly Father were truly dead now. And if they were, then so too would it mean for the Vampire.

He didn't want to believe it. But as he looked for his oldest adversary he was only discovering truths he didn't want to hear. The land of the Americas was no longer drinking the prayers of the olden gods dry. Ley lines across the globe were pulsing with magic that hadn't been seen since the ancient days where magicians and gods once lived amongst the common folk. These things had been only within the past few days and he knew more significant changes would start to appear as little as half a year.

The air was also starting to clean up. There was not so much smog even within the City of Angels. The sky was becoming a little more blue by each day as opposed to its silver hue everyone had gotten accustomed to.

There was also this weight removed that Rolan couldn't describe any better. Others had mentioned it as well. His friends had shared stories they were having strokes of luck in their jobs and personal lives. They also seemed happier for some unknown reason they couldn't answer. They also didn't think much on it nor had they noticed until he asked them.

The entire world seemed to be getting better after recovering from an illness.

Well, everyone except the Church.

They were suddenly losing their power. Their influence. Only a few days and there were newspaper articles and reports on television about groundbreaking records. Only the truly faithful and zealous practitioners had attended Church weekly rituals. When asked, the general populace stated they either had more pressing matters to attend to or simply couldn't find any reason to go. Rolan had a feeling the Church would collapse in less than a decade.

Not that he was going to give them that long. Let alone half a year. He, alone, had executed two-hundred thousand of the Church's finest. Combined with the efforts of Philips, the mercenaries of the American Union Postal Service, and the natural enemies of the Church the two had rallied, the death toll was somewhere near three-hundred and fifty thousand.

The news reported it as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, local murder sprees, kidnappings, suicides, freak accidents, casualties of war… so on and so forth. It was being controlled by as many of Rolan's resources and as many of Philips' Dawn Blades as possible. Less than ten percent of the deaths were actually reported.

The greatest thing about America was that its people were ignorant. They only cared about the latest gossip, the latest trends, what celebrity was sleeping with who, the most recent political scandal… and countless other garbage that had no relevance at all. No one in America really seemed to care about the outside world. If it didn't involve them directly then they weren't interested.

Having that said, that didn't mean the Church didn't have branches in America. Getting around that triviality was simple as Rolan was using this wave of newly found freedom on the world to get what he wanted. No one batted an eye when the local priest went missing. No one was asking questions.

Of course, the Church tried to fight back. Tried. And failed miserably, laughably so. Rolan and Philips had used their experience from their war to land the first preemptive strike. The heads that made up the Gathering of Heaven had been cut off as well as the next set of replacements. Without anyone to lead them, the Church was in chaos and running around blindly.

Take for example right this second. A small group of Exorcists had tried to storm his place, swearing vengeance on their fallen comrades, friends, family, would seek out justice, blah, blah, blah— spewing words he had heard a hundred-thousand times. Sure, they managed to break through the first barrier but lost most of their strength after running face-first into the second one. And then they were all picked off by Syrche, the deity that inhabits the forest surrounding his manor.

The sound of their screams reminded him of the ones the girls from the Astaroth Peerage made when they tried to sack this same place. That reminded him— he needed to figure out what he was going to do with them and their King.

Still, it was only a few days. Shit might turn up once fifty percent of the Church was successfully removed. Heaven wasn't going to accept the deaths of their servants and livestock. Like any other divine being, Heaven relied on the prayers and sacrifices of humanity. If their religion fell then they would be no better than the old forgotten gods. They would fight back.

And Rolan would be waiting for them.

He sat on the balcony in a foldup chair. There was more lavish and comfortable furniture around but there was a bit of nostalgia to enjoy the sunset in a foldup chair. It reminded him of his days in high school when he would sit on the porch of his house doing just this. Sitting on his feet, doing just the same and using his legs as a back rest, was his daughter Snowball. Her eyes were locked on the sun slowly rising from the horizon. She had a cup of warm chocolate in her hands.

They both loved these moments together. They were becoming less frequent as the Evensong drew nearer. This was the only time when her prophecies weren't bombarding her psyche and he wasn't plagued by his curse. Both their problems were still there in front of their faces but they could both ignore them only when the sun rose and set.

The sun. Such a beautiful thing. It reminded him of his wife and her mother, Snow.

"…Send her in," he announced before his maid could speak through the speaker. He had detected the harassment of magic trying to penetrate the barriers around his home. All of them. Even a collective force of Archmagi wouldn't be able to get through. And even if they did, they would have the forest deity and the lake deity he created as guard dogs to hunt them. So far only the likes of a Predator or an impressive Candidate had been successful in getting past those two.

A minute later, Serafall Leviathan appeared through a magic circle. She was dressed in frills of pink and white, with a short skirt that was close to scandalizing, and a top that showed her midsection. Gloves decorated in gems, boots lined with feathers and too many laces for any purpose in the footwear, and a ridiculously large hat… She was going for that magical girl look again.

…Great.

"Sera, don't you look lovely today," he drawled the words with such sarcasm anyone could have felt them ooze in thick sludge.

Snowball looked once at Serafall, sipped her drink as her eyes peered into the Devil's _laughable _soul, and then returned her attention to the sun. This wouldn't be the first time they had met. Nor would it be the last. Snowball had been intrigued by Serafall on the first few times but then she had gotten so accustomed to the Devil's antics nothing was surprising anymore. She found Serafall boring and couldn't understand why her father kept her around.

"Chase, you're as big as a ball of sunshine as always," the Devil retorted with just as heavy of sarcasm as he had.

It got him to look away from the sun to gaze at her incredulously. He blinked. "Huh. Everything alright? You're never mad at me—"

"I know it was you," she accused.

"…You're going to have to be more specific," he said bluntly. "I won't deny it if I am responsible. But, I mean, there's a lot of things I've done. Not trying to be an ass this time."

"This time," she nodded with a smile. A sweet smile. If only she didn't have a tick-mark above her brow from barely restrained anger. "Everything. Serene of Finland. The Church. Excalibur. Dragoon-chan. _Everything. _Your hands were all over this one. And to think I believed you. You almost had me fooled, Obi-tan. I thought you couldn't lie but it turns out you betrayed me with—"

"Shut the fuck up you damn fucking hypocrite," he snarled. His eyes blazed as his killing intent leaked out. The wood on the railing cracked despite the amount of fortification wards placed all over the house. His Aura was pressing down on them.

They all could feel it. He was about to kill her. But he didn't. He had killed countless others for upsetting him far less than this. However, Serafall was one of the special persons of Rolan. He genuinely cared for her. There was something intimate between them and that was the only thing keeping him back.

He shut his eyes and recalled his power. The pressure distilled until the air was sterile once more. When he opened his eyes, the orbs within were still glowing with power but his expression had softened.

"…You have no idea how much this cost me," he said in a heavy voice. "I kept my promise to your sister to the letter. I was forced to break it or the Dragoon would have died. Breaking that promise constitutes as a lie, did you know? There is a reason why I hate lies, why I hate people who lie through their teeth, and why I can't do it."

Snowball moved from sitting on his feet to sitting on his lap. He welcomed her, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other hand combing through her hair.

"But… whatever," he added dryly. "What would you care? You and I both have killed more than enough families. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters… We've killed hundreds of these. I've just recently killed thousands before the morning. Why should we care when one of ours is removed instead? Especially by our own hand?"

Serafall pulled up one of the wooden chairs with a cushion and sat beside him. She looked at him skeptically, her demeanor from before completely gone. "I want an explanation."

"That depends," he scowled at her… more than usual anyways. His anger hadn't fully resided. "Are you going to ridicule me again and call me a liar?"

"…I'll listen," she said softly. "But I want the full truth. Not your regular half-assed truth full of holes. You owe me that much at least."

"…Fair enough," he said as he leaned back in his chair. His eyes locked on the sun again and his eyes softened. The sun always put him in a better mood. "Where to begin…? Ah. I suppose it would go as far back as when I first met Serene."

He told her. At least as much as he believed she deserved to hear. He told her of the story of Amelia Rosewood, how he slipped something called True Love into her drink and gave her a healthy body free of sin, of how they lived together peacefully (if not arguing every day viciously) for half a year. And then an incident arrived where the Predators were called into action. Rolan had been ejected from the world for a year… whatever that meant. He returned to find Serene had been dragged back into the Church and forced to absorb the sins of their faithful yet again. He threatened all those years ago to set her free, but the Church had used her as a shield, making her swear by her name to protect them against him.

"…Do you love her?" Serafall found herself asking. Despite their previous aggressions, Serafall was swept away by this tale. She always was a sucker for romances. The question had come to her in a mixture of curiosity, excitement, longing, and despair all wrapped into one package. There were strong feelings for Rolan, definitely not love but surely something there. He had been a dear friend. Someone she could rely on and be herself— both as the adorable sis-con magical girl and the veteran of a war that forced her to sever her heart and kill her childhood friends.

"I did. Once," he answered in a distant voice. "Probably as much as I love you now but it's passed. I still remember the feelings though. I remember how it felt when the Church took something important from me. I might not love her now, but I'd still never forgive them. I'm mostly doing this for myself rather than for her. But, I also know she's laughing her ass off over it."

She withheld her words. His actions were going to cause colossal problems now that he was a Devil, especially one of high rank as a Demon Lord. But he was also King Oberon of the Fae, the Knight of Honor to the princess of Britain, the Commander of Legions to the Tempes vampires, the Archmagus of Los Angeles, Vice Roy of America to the Acolytes, and the Second Symphony to the American Union Postal Service mercenary corp. He was a lot of things. A lot of _powerful _figureheads. How he was able to shuffle all these responsibilities was beyond her. Even she skimmed on her work frequently.

Hopefully the retaliation from Heaven would be split far and wide to all of these factions instead of focusing on just the Devils.

"I'm supposed to arrest you for that," she stated diplomatically. "You are instigating a war without the authority of the Maous. Predator or not, we cannot turn a blind eye towards your actions."

"But you won't," he said dispassionately.

"…No, I won't," she confirmed. "Not yet, at least. I should… but it's more like I _can't. _Legally, you haven't broken any laws. You haven't left any evidence to confirm it's you attacking the Church. But how long can you keep this up? Heaven isn't so stupid to not notice the patterns and will spot you in action at some point."

He shrugged. Not a clueless one but a gesture to show he cared very little about it.

"Because I plan on bringing Heaven down as well."

He had said such words as if it were simple. To bring down Heaven would mean to tear down the system God of the Bible had created. It would be the same if Rolan had declared war on the Devils and promised to erase them from existence. The idea was ludicrous. Serafall might not be able to stand up against him but she sure as hell could put up a fight. And then there was Sirzechs Lucifer. Serafall never knew anyone more powerful than he.

But Sirzechs wasn't a Predator. Rolan was.

She had been raised to respect and fear Heaven just as much as she had experienced their power and authority in the Great War. Heaven was a force to be reckoned with. It was a presence that had existed since the beginning of the world, was older than the Devils and Fallen, and was older than even the most ancient of gods. Heaven was something even the greatest of beings on the planet wouldn't dare to challenge. Even the Earth Mother, the incarnation of the planet itself, could not defeat Heaven.

But Heaven had lost their Heavenly Father. Without their host, without their creator to keep its system maintained, it was slowly decaying from within. Heaven was still beautiful and all who saw it were frightened by its magnificence, but no one knew the conditions behind the pearly gates. The inhabitants of Heaven were too busy trying to maintain their system just as the Devils were struggling to keep their people from dying out.

Worse, Heaven was defenseless. She suddenly realized. The Angels would always be able to put up a fight but they would not survive another clash like the Great War even if they were the victors. The cost would be too heavy.

And Heaven would, indeed, fall.

Serafall sighed. A very weary and frustrated sigh. No one got under her skin more than Rolan. And yet, he was the only one she could ever have fun around. She missed the days they would goof off and get into heated debates over superheroes and magical girls. This was just a phase, she told herself; they would overcome this hurdle in their relationship and be back at each other's throats over anime, concerts, and games like how they used to.

"Tell me about the Holy Sword Project."

"You mean other than what you don't already know?" he sassed. The cheeky little prick. He even gave her a sarcastic smile. "Fine. I had a hand in it. But not directly. I couldn't break Sona's promise and you've no idea how annoying it was trying to reform my plan. You've no idea how frustrated I was on that day she caught me in that stupid favor. It was supposed to be a small favor for her efforts in watching over Hyoudou but it ended up backfiring in my face.

"That's not to say it was impossible, just annoying. I managed to convince the Vampire to get involved. I even told him Amelia's name for him to use at the perfect chance. Stealing the Excalibur Fragments was simple… but the tricky part was getting the rest after the Church had been warned. I didn't expect Saint Virtue to be there. But I was glad the Church had been timid because of Hyoudou's stunt in the Rating Game. So timid, in fact, they willingly let loose their Divine Beast. I couldn't ask for a better opportunity.

"Saint Virtue never worked with Amelia. I'd also like to thank the Church for their idiocy in political subterfuge. Seats in the Gathering of Heaven kept information from another and traded secrets like currency. Virtue was left in the dark, believing he knew everything about the Saints he commanded. He seriously thought she was dead.

"I knew Amelia would follow the commands from the Church to the letter. She was to keep watch over Xenovia and Irina and to… what was it… make sure the Dragoon is not a threat. With Xenovia taken, she would do everything in her power to retrieve her. But with the Vampire knowing her name, there was little she could do. The commands from the Church worked against her and she was forced to seek aid from her sworn enemy.

"The other hard part was to get you to hand over some Evil Pieces," he frowned. "You're definitely not going to just hand them over after all these years of badgering you and Ajuka. I needed to find a way to force your hand. Something that would make you desperate enough to hand them over in exchange for something you needed from me. There's not much I have you'd be interested in so I needed to acquire it."

Her face paled. And then it turned red. "You used _Sona _just for that?!"

"Among other things," he replied. "Nothing is ever so simple, Sera. Nor am I done with Sona. And it goes far deeper than that. You'd not believe how many steps I had to make just to reach that far. Acquiring the Astaroth Conglomerate by staging Asia Argento's mishap… You, the great Leviathan of foreign affairs, know there are plans within plans. But plans change. I had planned on the marriage ceremony gathering the attention of my enemies. The Khaos Brigade couldn't possibly ignore a stunt like this. But then you and Hyoudou had to come in and—"

She rose from her seat. Outraged. The area around them was frozen solid as her demonic energies leaked beyond her means to control. Her eyes were dangerous and her voice was lethal. "You were willing to put my sister in danger."

It wasn't a question.

"Yes," he said cooly while matching her gaze with one of his own. His Aura protected him and his daughter. He made Snowball get off of him and gestured for her to stand aside. "I use people, Sera, but that doesn't mean I will throw them away. If anything were to happen to Sona I would have brought her back. There are ways for you Devils to come back even from complete incineration by light."

"That doesn't make me feel any better about this," she growled.

"Get over it. The plan's changed anyways. For the better, at that. Your big sister tendencies saved her from potential harm and got her into a much more controlled environment. Think about it. The Rating Game will host two Predators in a match. The enemy will see us battle and strike when we are weakened. Sona doesn't need to be there for this. Congratulations."

It still didn't make Serafall feel any better. She thrust her palm in his direction.

A large geyser of water and ice sprouted under his seat, stabbing and tearing him apart in an instance.

The ice cracked and he broke free. Both his eyes were blue as he commanded her ice by his will. His flesh was torn with chunks of meat dangling. His arm was split in two and yet he could move it despite the bones and tendons ruined. The more critical wounds had transformed his body, revealing parts of the visage he kept underneath— armor made of ice with flaming veins coursing through them. The ice she conjured soaked into his skin and began to convert into flesh and clothes.

"…I liked that chair," he said as soon as his regeneration was complete. With a gesture of his hand, the remaining ice not used on his wounds had reformed into a replication of the seat that had been shattered. But unlike his skin and clothes, he could not convert it into any other material other than ice. He sat in it, grumbling at the inconvenience of how it didn't flex with his weight.

"Dragoon-chan doesn't know about this, does he?" Serafall asked as she took her seat in the comfortable chair. She wasn't satisfied over his immediate recovery but could make do with how annoyed he had been.

"He can learn if he wants," shrugged Rolan. "But I'm not going to tell him. You can if you want. I'd prefer if you didn't. The boy can't keep a secret for his life. I'm afraid the enemy would learn about the big plan somehow…"

She couldn't argue with him, much to her dismay. Issei was a boy who wore his emotions on his sleeves and had little to no mental training. It was possible he could find a cute girl walking down the street, she would woo him, and he would spill the beans. Only to later find out that nameless girl was a member of the Khaos Brigade.

"How did you know I would give you Evil Pieces?" she asked, getting the conversation rolling once again.

"I didn't," he answered dryly while still trying to find a comfortable position on his icicle chair. And failing. "I only knew you loved your sister more than enough to use people just as much as I do. Admit it, you were going to use Hyoudou. If I got involved in a situation where he would be and have to fight, then I would be exposed by showing my battle capabilities. He would have an advantage and the chances of him winning would increase, even if only slightly.

"It was a gamble though. I didn't fully think you would hand over Evil Pieces after so long. But you really do love your sister that much. You can guess where the rest of this story goes."

She could. At least to a certain extent. She had been forced to hand over Issei's Evil Pieces while Rolan's were still on order. It had been his plan all along to hand them over while he kept the King Piece to himself. It was his intentions from the very beginning to have Serene of Finland lose her grace. But there were still things she didn't understand.

"You mentioned you had another contract," she recalled. "That you were to watch the group of Fallen Angels that took the Excalibur Fragments and make sure another Great War wouldn't break out. That you were to eliminate them should those be their intentions."

"Yes…?" he waited for her question.

"It was Azazel-san who placed the contract, wasn't it? Why?"

"There is this thing called client confidentiality," he stated.

"This whole conversation is illegal on several levels."

"Fair enough. As I said, there are always plans within plans. I needed a scapegoat should things go sour and I also needed to use the Fallen to get something else. I had an acquaintance who offered to help me reform Excalibur but only in exchange for getting the Fallen off his ass. I broke Galilei out of prison, gave him to the Vampire to rip off his face. As Galilei, he managed to convince Kokabiel to assist him in his latest project. Kokabiel agreed and mustered his personal troops and researchers. I didn't think the White Chaser would be there but… it didn't change anything in the end.

"There, we have Fallen involved in something that would bring the wrath of both the Devils and the Angels. Azazel couldn't afford that and reached out for assistance. I made sure to be the only one to answer. I also slipped in the meeting a good recommendation of raw materials and mystic artifacts for purchasing in the name of his research by my acquaintance. The two have already met and I've heard they've come to an agreement."

"And why did you drag Dragoon-chan and Rias-chan into all this?" she asked with an edge in her voice.

"Other than demonizing Serene? Hyoudou has done everything I wanted from him. He is the ideal Predator. My interest, however, was Yuuto Kiba. The Vampire took him for the sake of the Holy Sword Project. I told someone I would give him Excalibur even if I had to shove the blade down his throat. Excalibur is now Synthesized with Sword Birth. They are one in the same. And he can't live without it… but Excalibur getting a human form was outside my control. Either Elaine did that to screw with me or— no, I'm going to just blame Japan for this one. The ley lines of that country are—"

"You said you had nothing to do with all this," she cut him off before he went on another rant about how irregular Japan was. She had heard it a thousand times whenever she brought up magical girls.

"So I did," he crossed his legs, though still awkward about his seating. "And it wasn't a lie. I never touched a thing throughout this whole nonsense. I also recall saying it was the Fourth doing everything and I couldn't understand his reasons for doing it. I still don't know why he said yes… plus I never bothered to ask him. You people interpret my words however is best convenient for your sakes, never for what they really mean."

"…I really should arrest you," she said after massaging her temple.

"You should smile," he commented. "Scowling isn't good for you. It's also not your thing. You're so much prettier when you smile."

"Chase…" she warned.

He waved a hand at her. "Spoil-sport. Legally, this conversation never happened. I could tell you all the other things I've done wrong but you've no evidence to prove this conversation ever happened. I don't trust anyone, Sera, including the people closest to me. _Especially _those closest to me. There are just as many anti-surveillance wards here as there are for defense. Among other things. Plus, I could always argue with you on all the points on how my hands are clean in this one. In a legal sense, anyways. I would prefer it. It would remind us of back then. But you're not in the mood."

She should have felt warmed that he was missing their friendship. Should have. She was just too irked by him to forgive him so easily.

"There's more to it, isn't there?"

"Snowball," he called out to his daughter, who had gone into making… snowballs out of Serafall's frozen aura. She wasn't doing anything with them. Just stacking them into a neat and orderly pile. There was a joke in there somewhere, he was sure of it. "Go inside now. It's almost time for school."

The girl stared at her father in the trademark Rolan family scowl. She wanted to play in the snow a little longer. But she listened to her father… while chucking one snowball to his face and then making a quick dash for it indoors.

"…Viri's going to get mad about her soaking the carpets," he sighed as he wiped the snow off his face. He returned to Serafall as he picked up Snowball's unfinished mug of chocolate. He blew into it once and it began to steam. "There's always more to it. Nothing is ever so simple. I'm still in the middle of a few other projects. Most I'm not willing to share. Some I need to rethink…

"I didn't plan on the Vampire dying," he said before taking a sip from the drink. He smacked his lips before staring at the mug. In a sudden flash of rage, he stood and chucked it as far as he could throw. It sailed far, further than any human could have thrown it, and was lost in the sea of trees below.

"The guy was a psychopath but… we've been through so much shit I might as well call him a friend," he gave a dry laugh at the end of those words. "He's dead. Totally, undeniably, entirely dead. The fucker had his existence wiped clean out of the system. He was a glitch, did you know? Something called a Lingering Residue— a fragment of another world that refuses to fade away. He wasn't natural to this world.

"I never knew Siegfried finished the Vorpal Sword. One blow directly at the Vampire's core would have done it— and it did. That was how the Dragoon won. I had thought they would tie. That they would cripple each other but could get back up by the time of the Evensong. But, fuck, that damn fatass went and got himself killed.

"And now we are behind schedule. Our deadline is catching up. No, more like it's getting shorter. Our enemy has been making more progress lately. There are only seven of us now and eight wasn't enough. And the Holy Sword Project failed. Yuuto Kiba didn't become a Predator. My calculations were wrong. I had thought Excalibur with Sword Birth properties would give him the edge he needed. Even replicating and applying Durandal's Miracle of Separation wasn't enough. He's not even at the level of Candidacy."

There was more to it. There always was. He was withholding information from her once again. He would answer if she asked, but only if she asked the right question.

"…What happens when you lie?" she found herself asking. It had been bothering her and she had noticed how he had been avoiding that topic.

His eyes narrowed. "I'm sick, Sera. Very, very sick. And there is only one cure— just, the price for that is too high. Something I'm not willing to give. I'd sooner let the world burn instead of pay it. This illness… it's a curse that I can't fully understand. Because there's nothing to understand. No Laws, no algorithms, no sequence of codes or structure. Just nothing; you'll never find it no matter what science or magic you use unless I reveal it to you. But it's there. And it's killing me."

He lifted up his hand and looked at it. The flesh washed away in the sunlight. A grotesque gauntlet forged of ice with veins of fire running up its fingers and arm replaced his hand. Rather, it was more like the skin was nothing but a glove and this was what lay hidden underneath. Blood dripped from the fingertips, puddling in his palm and falling to the floor. The blood never hit the floor. It always dissolved before it could.

She had seen it before. When he was injured critically his body would show its true colors. When Issei had punched him. And when Serafall had struck him not too long ago.

Having shown her what he wanted, he brought his hand back down onto the arm rest. The ice reformed into something closely resembling human skin, shimmered, changed colors, and could now fool anyone into believing it was flesh and bone.

"When I break certain rules, there are penalties to me. I cannot _not _love. I cannot lie. I cannot exist the same way you do. The world, to me, is like a storybook. Everything I perceive is the same as you would when reading a book. You have a firm grasp of things based on your imagination… but none of it is real. If I break any of these rules… there is a terrible penalty on my part.

"Two things. The first, my existence in this world shortens. I start to fade away a little more and soon I will no longer exist. You people won't even remember me when I'm gone and the World will shift to fill in the gaps. It'll look like I never even existed in the first place. But until then, I have to be reminded of these rules. A sort of punishment.

"Someone I love dies. No, not dies. Their Quantum Iden— their souls get taken. They stop existing. And there's nothing I can do about it."

There was heavy disbelief within Serafall. Rather, she wanted to not believe him. But his tone and the gravity of his words told her otherwise. This was the truth. This was why he hated lies.

"…Who placed this curse on you?" she asked. Her mind was racing for ideas. If some higher being cursed Rolan then surely they could find the originator and set him free… right?

He didn't answer. His scowl disappeared entirely as he looked up at the sun. There was a look of longing in his eyes that she had never seen. It was as though he wanted to reach out for it and embrace it. But along with that longing, that brilliance to embrace it and never let go, there was a deep hatred. His eyes were flaring with passion of both despair and hate just as much as they were of sorrow and romance.

She knew he hated the sun above all else. Everyone did. But he never shared _why _he hated it. Especially now, as he was looking at the golden orb as though it were a lost lover.

"Is there anything else you wanted from me?" he asked instead. His head lowered and his scowl returned.

There was more she wanted from him. But it could wait.

"I wanted to let you know Dragoon-chan has made a quicker recovery than you predicted," she said with a small smile. Her façade was starting to return. "You were wrong, Obi-tan."

"I'm not surprised," he replied with a shrug. "The kid's too stupid and obsessed with tits to stay in bed for that long. But good for him. He finally got what he wanted."

"A harem?" she asked.

"No, a family," he said with a small smile.

She blinked. She could have sworn there was a small bit of pride in his voice. And she could have sworn he had smiled. But when she looked there was nothing there.

"The match isn't over, Serafall Leviathan," he said in a challenging tone. "You and I are still adversaries. I plan on winning the Rating Game and I'm bringing the heat. People who can keep up with me are going to be in my roster. You guys only have two months to find the other half of your crew. If Gremory and her peerage are going to participate, then I suggest you get them into shape and quickly. They won't survive a single battle the way they are now."

She smiled at him. A teasing and just as challenging one. "Don't you worry, Obi-tan. Dragoon-chan and I won't disappoint~"

She struck a pose. A peace sign near her head, a wink, and her tongue sticking out with her hips swaying. There was even a little magical heart popping out of thin air as soon as she winked.

He only stared at her. He could never get used to her habits.

"Right, well, if that's everything, I've a people to massacre and a parent-attendance day to go to," he stood out of his frozen chair and then dissolved it into mist. He moved to walk away from her. "Snowball was getting some reward for… fuck if I remember. Still, I'd like to be there and rub it in those snooty parents' faces that my kid is better."

"You don't really plan on marrying So-tan, do you?" she called out to him right as soon as he opened the door.

He turned his head just enough to look over his shoulder. "…No, I never did. But that doesn't mean I'm holding anything back. I plan on winning but expect Hyoudou to surprise me with something. Still, it'll be his fault if he loses and I'll marry her anyways— yes, even if it means I'll be stuck with you being my sister for, fuck, _ever_. I'm not that big of a dick to steal someone else's girl, though. I mean, come on, even you know those two are in love with each other—"

"SO-TAN WILL ONLY BE MINE!" she shouted more so out of instinct than anything. She coughed and then returned to her bubbly persona. "You hurt them really bad, Obi-tan. I hope you know that."

He leaned against the frame of the door and thought for a moment. He blinked as an idea came to him. "…There's this meeting coming up soon. Taking place in Kyoto. Tell you what. I'm going to have Odin ask permission to request Devils as his escort. He wanted the Gremory group… but I want you to have the Sitri Peerage instead."

She eyed him curiously. "…And this is going to do… what?"

"Consider it my apology to them and to you. Hyoudou is going to attend this meeting. He won't have much of a choice. Odds are Gremory is going to accompany him anyways so I see no point in Odin asking them. They could use this time as a vacation to sort things out."

"…Obi-tan, are you playing matchmaker?" she asked incredulously.

"I am cleaning up my mess," he clarified. "I had thought those two would be in a stronger relationship. You know, like in those stories. The hero would be driven to rescue the woman he loves while the damsel in distress would cheer him on. I didn't think they'd be stupid enough to sacrifice their happiness for the other. But that's a mistake on my part. I had forgotten something critical. They're _teenagers._"

"You're still a terrible person," she said as she approached him. Her cheeks were puffed as she was pouting. Not truly pouting but in her own fake way. Things were far from fixed between them, but at least Serafall was willing to make things work.

"You're still annoying," he returned bluntly. His scowl had softened. Just enough to show he was irritated by her and yet still welcomed her. "I'm still waiting on those rare jewels and metals, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah," she waved it off as unimportant, which caused his brow to twitch. It was the reaction she was hoping for. It was like how they used to tease each other.

She jabbed him in the gut. Hard. It forced the air out of his stomach and made him flinch. At least he was willing to take her jabs and not stop her. He could have easily with his constant awareness as a Predator. It was another sign of improvement.

"Behave, Obi-tan," she said to him in a strict voice… as strict as Serafall Leviathan could allow in her magical girl persona.

"Don't fall for Hyoudou's charms like everyone else," he warned. He had recovered instantly. Rather, it was like he wasn't harmed at all. "The Gift of Seduction is a serious bitch."

"Fu, fu, fu," she laughed and wagged a finger as she approached the magic circle she came in. "Dragoon-chan is a thousand years too young to seduce this one. Besides, I am Miracle Levia-tan! My magic powers comes from my purity!"

"…You and I _totally _remember Cancun differently," he muttered in too low a voice for her to hear. But she did hear. She had a witty response but he cut her off. "I'll remember that when you _do _join his peerage. Or his harem at least. I'll be the one laughing my ass off."

"You? Laugh?" she teased further as the magic circle began to glow. "Hell will freeze over on that day!"

She was gone before he could share his riposte.

"…But Hell _is _frozen," he said to the open air. "The lowest level is… You know what, whatever. Fuck her. Good luck, Hyoudou. She's your problem now."

He remained at the edge of the doorframe, his back leaning against it as he gazed over the railing of the balcony. At the thought of Hyoudou, his senses traced across the ocean towards the Dragoon, the newly ranked Seventh Predator. The young man was being smothered by the young girls... including the Exorcists Xenovia and Irina… and Yuuto Kiba. Odd. They were nurturing him back to health, more so hindering him rather than helping him. It looked like they were currently arguing who had the rights to sponge-bathe the dragon. Seeing Kiba inside the argument made him raise a brow.

The Gift of Seduction was, indeed, a bitch.

Serene had chosen to stay by his side, watching the whole episode with the smallest curve at the edge of her lips humanly possible; that made Rolan smile.

Of course Serene would stay near Hyoudou. She liked the boy. And there was no way she would leave Asia now that they were reunited.

Rolan wondered if the woman would ever tell Asia the truth. Not just the girl being a Living Saint. But everything else.

Upon sensing him, Hyoudou looked out towards the window by his bedside. His senses had locked on to Rolan. The World would have told him if anyone was scrying him and it was too easy for him to hone in on who it was.

Rolan offered a friendly wave.

Hyoudou had been taken aback by the gesture. But he decided, with some reluctance, to wave back. More so out of politeness than honesty.

The girls asked him what he was doing and he found himself in a pickle. Why, Rolan couldn't fathom. All the boy would have to do is explain himself and he'd get out of trouble. But that was the problem with dealing with multiple teenage girls. Nothing ever goes as planned. Fuck, might as well throw logic out the window as everything was run by emotions and hormones on a daily basis.

Rolan did not miss high school.

He traced back to Serene, who was watching the whole charade how one would watch a soap opera. Her eyes moved towards the window as well after sensing him.

He debated between giving her the same friendly wave or one of his mocking sneers. It didn't matter. Her eyes had narrowed as she came up with her own way to greet him.

She crossed through the crowds of girls (and Kiba) competing to get Issei's attention. Her aura was commanding, almost like a queen's, which would seem fitting as she was supposed to be Issei's. Without a single care for his wellbeing, she grabbed the clueless dragon by the collar of his shirt, lifted him towards her…

And kissed him.

Rolan's brow twitched. It was a fuck-off kiss. There was no denying it now. Serene— no, Amelia Rosewood was now and forever out of his personal life.

Amelia Rosewood… how he wished to be the one to call her freely by her name. But that was Hyoudo's right now. He was the one who freed her. Despite it being Rolan's plan all along, he wouldn't have been able to make Amelia happy without Hyoudou. To be more specific, he wouldn't have been able to make her happy at all.

On Issei's end, Serene had broken off on the engagement and calmly walked back to her place before. No one dared to ask her— who was the instigator— but had instead badgered the victim. Even blaming him. And poor Issei hadn't a single clue in the world what was going on.

With that, Rolan cut off the link, walked inside his house, and began his day.

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A message from the author!**

Hello everybody! This is Arrixam coming to you for-

WAIT! Arry, this is like only halfway according to the scroll bar. Are you telling me you wrote 20k words worth of author notes?!

No, I did not. This message is relatively short and you can all skip it if you so chose. The omake at the end is more of a... special chapter. I'll get to that later on though.

Here is the conclusion for Eighth, the Dragoon! I would like to first thank everyone who has read this story to the very end. You guys rock. We've been through so much together and I've read each and every one of your reviews. Some have been answered, some I leave open to answer during plot and story, while some I really can't answer because they were such simple things like 'nice update'. I've also lost a great number of readers throughout the journey. But I believe my crowning success was gaining the attention of my fellow writers, especially those I am a fan of. Getting reviews from them had me squealing like a little girl.

I had problems, things even I didn't like about this story. I'm going to just name a few of them.

First, Issei dying on the fist chapter. It was always an issue to me and I always wished to go back and redo that. But then it would be an entirely different story. Issei, this overly badass mother f'er that can kill gods, dies to a lowly Fallen Angel? Even I was iffed about this. But still I did it. And while I admit this to be a mistake, I do not regret it. I believe I turned it around with the Fourth's rant about "that shouldn't have happened" back in Chapter 5. Still, I always wonder what the story would have been like if Issei hadn't been turned into a Devil...

Second, the drop-rate on Chapter 4. It bothered me to no end how EVERYONE stopped reading at chapter 4. I even got the most hate-filled messages about it. Now, I've read that chapter over and over and I see hints, clues, and outright bold descriptions that tell the readers that it was NOT Freed Sellzen but someone impersonating him. Still, I clearly did something wrong if so many dropped it... I've also no clue how to fix it.

Third, and final, I did not like how Issei and Rias got over their problems. Originally, I planned on the two of them to be arguing even as far as right now in the plot. I could have solved it in a different manner other than "oh yeah sure, everything's fine". I think, looking back on it, I just didn't want to deal with all the drama. I mean, the poor guy still has to do something about Sona! Could you imagine having him to juggle her AND Rias? I could. But I didn't want to put that much effort into it. In the end, I chose to be lazy and make things work by unrealistic conclusions.

I do have other problems. Minor ones. But they're not important to state.

So now we have the conclusion of the first Act. Here is the point where those who wanted to see the Fourth die have been satisfied and can close this book for good. Those who wish to see Issei's next adventure can join me in **Seventh, the Dragoon**. I still thank all of you for sticking it this far. I love each and every one of you.

Now, before a message from my beta, let me explain the omake at the end of this chapter. It was something I started to write on Christmas Eve but never finished. I thought about saving it until this year but then things began to change and the lore within the omake no longer made sense. Rather, nothing was canon. Do you hear that? NOTHING IN THIS OMAKE IS CANON! So don't take it seriously. The plan always changes, after all.

Now, good night everyone! I wish you all well! And I hope to see you in the future once again!

Without further ado, the illustrious **Third Fang:**

**_My words of infinite wisdom that transcends Olphis' and Red's meager comprehension!_**

**_Ok, I know it sounds a bit hypocritical given that I'm responsible for some of the most well known (and in some circles most well hated) OC's in fanfiction, but I like many people tend to avoid fics where OC's play a big role in the story, especially if they are competent and powerful. It's not hard to see why given that most of the time these characters are one dimensional and tend to play the roles of several other characters in the canon universe simply because the author gets lazy and doesn't want to bother with multiple major perspectives and more complicated plots, thus forcing otherwise semi-important characters into the background to be convenient support in a major fight and inconsequential at any other point._**

**_This story, clearly didn't fall into that deathtrap, and I am glad. _**

**_Making a solid OC is hard. Making a solid OC that's actually powerful and relevant to the story is harder. Making an overpowered OC, make them relevant to the story, and still make the overall story GOOD while keeping the world interesting is another thing entirely. Honestly, I believe that the only fanfiction authors out there that are capable of making solid original stories on their own are the ones that can do just that._**

**_I'm looking at you fifty shades of bullshit. Fcking copout. We know what you did._**

**_Anyways, Arrixam did something a bit more than what most authors tend to do. He made a secondary world, or system to work in tandem with the established one that the readers know and expect, and he did it well. Not just in how it worked but in its presentation too._**

**_He was a bit heavy with the secondary world elements from the get go, and could have been a bit more clear at some points, but overall it's far better than other fics I've seen. _**

**_Plus this is a freaking DXD fic. How many decent ones of those are out there right now that aren't focused on porn, pity, smut, and poorly designed OC's that steal Issei's position as the MC because they can't develop the ability to comprehend a main character that is naturally hyper perverted and still be somewhat competent?_**

**_True, DXD canon is a bit messed up at its base with Issei being... Issei, sheer stupidity does have its limits before it becomes just plain ignorance and unrealistic, but his perversion is part of his character. Having a DXD fic where he isn't a pervert on hilarious or distracting levels is just... boring. Arrixam did a good job balancing out this element to make it a good story._**

**_All things considered, he should really talk to Kagaseo. Those two would get along perfectly if their writing styles are any indication (discretely looks at the trails of bodies made behind the authors in their stories). And people say that the French and American can't work together (discretely looks at MY characters that have been used in their stories... or what's left of them)._**

**_... Hopefully this isn't isn't an indication that I'm a terrible judge of character in real life._**

**_(Characters in the background) "You're the one that told these two to maim us you sick bastard!"_**

**_(Turns back to the minions) "Silence and get back in your holes!"_**

**_Overall I can't claim much when it came to the story. Some ideas. Some lore. Some impressions and words of advice. I wasn't a traditional beta for this story in that I never corrected grammar and the like. In that regard I really am grateful for Arrixam for calling me one for this fic. As far as I know he did most of the hard work himself so all the more to him. Stories like this don't come by very often._**

**_So there's my bit. Good work finishing this part of your fic Arry. Most authors cop out in the middle of their work cause they can't think of how to write past their "dur, i have a cool story idea" phase and can't carry through, which personally pisses me off. So cheers to not being a cop out!_**

* * *

**A Very Oppai Christmas**

During this time of the year friends and families gathered together in festivities. The holidays cycling around the winter solstice brought a time of celebration. There was simply something magical about it. What child didn't love this time of the year? Their parents would take days off from their jobs to shower them with gifts and bathe them with their love. On these cold winter days, everyone would be in their homes to be close to family.

But there were circumstances to a few others…

Issei was one such person as he flew through the air and dumped another criminal at the doorstep of a police station. No matter the reason, it would seem heroes and villains never took a day off from work.

He sighed before returning to the heavens to proceed with his scheduled patrol.

*Scene*

"Ise… your budget gets more and more ridiculous every year," Sona stated as she finished going over the finances Issei had saved up. From the jobs he had received given by Second, Fifth, and Sixth Predator, Issei had saved up well over seventy-two _billion _yen. The currency was spread out in several hundred accounts under different aliases in different banks all over the world. But he only touched the bare minimum amount— just enough to pay his bills and some miscellaneous extras… like his porn.

Every year he would do something special with his excessive accounts.

"That reminds me," she pressed her glasses as she thought of the _other _occasion he would partake in during this time of the year. "Do you know if _they _will be…?"

"Uh…" Issei couldn't make eye contact as he pulled out the little red envelope from his bag.

Sona withheld the small groan desiring to escape as she reached for the letter. Just like last year, the Predators were planning something for the holidays. They would spend one day together to celebrate with a truce of parlay for a full twenty-four hours. If Issei agreed to partake in this event, then it would mean he couldn't do anything to the Fourth else having to go through his other six seniors first. However… should the Fourth do something… then he was free-game.

As Sona read the letter of the celebratory conditions, her heart nearly stopped. This year, the party was going to be hosted by Issei.

And the chosen date and time was parallel to…

"Yeah… this year I'm supposed to find a gift for Archibald," Issei scratched his head. "Honestly, how do you get a gift for a guy who _literally _owns everything?"

"…I think that's the least of your troubles." No matter how much time passed, she could never understand the machinations of Issei's mind. "You're just going to go along with this? What about… everything that's happened within the past few months?"

"Sona, it's Christmas," was his answer as if it was the only answer needed for ANY argument. "I can put things aside for one night."

She opened her mouth to argue, to spill the news of what she had planned this year with Rias and all the others. But it was to be a surprise. For the past three years Issei had spent Christmas without a family. Apparently a large number of Predators had no one to turn towards during this time of year and so gathered together for one night. Before the series of events a few months back, Issei's seniors were the closest thing to a family he ever had and would spend Christmas night with them all. It was the one night he belonged to something.

"You can't just decline them?" she eventually asked but knew the answer already given a certain section of the letter was cut out as well as seven of the ten stamps were missing from within the envelope.

"I… uh… already sent the reply letters to them all," he looked away once more. "I probably should have told you all of this last Tuesday…"

"That would have been preferable," she groaned out. "Now, is there anything else you'd like to share with me? Something on par with eight of the most powerful individuals on the planet gathering together under one roof? Like if members of the Khaos Brigade are also invited to this party?"

Her brows twitched when she saw his body glisten from suddenly bursting in drenching cold sweat.

The school bell rang.

"OhlookSonathebelljustwentoffwellIguessthatmeansIhavetogotoclasssoI'llseeyoulaterkaybye!"

And he was out the door.

"ISSEI COME BACK HERE!" she nearly broke the door with how she tried to chase after him. Unfortunately, he was already long out of her hearing range.

*Scene*

"Right! Thanks a lot for the help Archibald-sempai. For every year. I know they'll love it!"

With a large grin, Issei shut the phone and went back to examining the large list he and Sona had worked together. This was something he did every year. The first year, when he lacked the finances and proposed the idea to the most resourceful man on the planet, First Predator Archibald Lolifor had offered him a loan to get started. Not in cash, but in favors. And to this day Issei was still working off on that loan.

Now, just because he had the finances to afford such a task, it didn't mean he had the capability to do it alone. He still relied on the First… and the elderly spirit continued to charge him for it. But in the end it always made it worthwhile.

It was Christmas Eve. He had perfected the timing by the third trip and could now follow the rotation of the planet to appear around the marked locations on his map so long as he followed the allotted schedule. With this going into his fourth trip, the world had quickly caught on and was making something of a televised event about it. And every year he always started in the Land of the Rising Sun since Japan was always the first country to start the new day. His screen in the living room was on with the members of the Occult Research Club and student council sitting around to watch.

They were calling him the Santa Blur.

The watch at his wrist rang, signaling it was almost time to start.

"Alright everyone, I'm going to be off!"

*Scene*

"Here he comes!" someone shouted. Heads swiveled around to where the individual was pointing in the sky. Eyes squinted until the familiar streak of red was shooting through the dark night. They cheered, spotlights lit up, cameras were at the ready, and the welcoming orchestra began to play an instrumental version of _Here Comes Santa Clause._

The Santa Blur fired down from the heavens and slowed his flight pattern until his body could be visibly seen. Ever since his revelation to the world, he had no problem stopping for a moment for the people to see him. In the past, he would simply drop off what was needed and be off before anyone could catch a glimpse of him.

The famed hero was even going along with their shenanigans. He was wearing a large red suit with white trimming over his armor, a black belt to tie it together, and a matching winter cap over his helm. He was, by extension, Santa Clause on this merry evening.

He dropped off the mountainous sack of wrapped presents at the center of the stage the people had made for him, waved at the cameras…

**"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"**

And then flew off to repeat the cycle throughout the rest of the night all around the world.

*Scene*

"My, the chap had put zealous thought in this," commented Second Predator Ludwig von Siegfried from the kitchens. He was busy mixing away at a bowl of cookie dough as he watched the live broadcast. His Gift of Craft radiated beautifully in equal measure to Issei's Gift of Flight on the screen.

The Dragon Slayer was in his realm of comfort… dressed in a frilly pink apron and baking Christmas goodies in four different ovens, brewing teas and chocolate concoctions on the stoves, and making the preparations for the evening feast. His loyal knights Morgan, Lancelet, Trist, Kayla, and Guinevere were doing their best to keep up with him. However, in due time, they would tire and leave everything up to him.

Which he preferred, but welcomed their help nonetheless.

"…Sir Siegfried," Rias was both awed and frightened by the mastery of the kitchen the Second possessed. She had hesitated in asking a question she should have prioritized but was caught off-guard by his childish desire to take over control of the kitchen. She as well as a number of the girls among Issei's unofficial 'harem' were busy making the preparations when he showed up. At first, he only offered advice, then offered demonstrations on how something was 'properly' done, and then just swept them out of the room.

All the while ignoring almost everything they had to say.

Lo and behold, the Dragon Slayer. He who killed a Primordial being— a creature beyond comprehension as it was the manifestation of a Law crafted before the age of civilization given physical form. He who could blow away mountains, cities, continents, or _the entire freaking planet _with but a flick of his finger. Literally! He who possessed a blade that _did not exist _and could carve through existence itself.

Lo and behold the Second Ultimate Killer and how he sang holiday tunes while icing the gingerbread men.

"What… exactly… are you doing here?" she asked, seeing the opportunity to gain his attention now that something had distracted him from his baking.

"Why, my dear, this is the most holy of nights," he stated as if it was the most obvious of answers. "Am I too early? My, I make for a terrible guest if I've appeared before the festivities have begun. I do apologize if I've intruded and—"

_Beep!_

"Rejoice! For the snicker doodles are finished!" so sang the man they had seen bathe in the blood of a small army.

"Huzzah!" chanted the greatest soldiers of Britain, whom the Dragon Slayer had personally trained, the current generation of Knights of the Round Table.

"…Sona…" Rias decided to walk away before her mind broke. She reached her friend's side, who was calmly sipping on her tea while reading a book in the loveseat. Aforementioned friend slid her finger across the page as to not lose her place while she peered through the roof of her glasses to look at the Gremory Heiress.

"Are all Predators…?" she left the question open while gesturing her eyes towards the middle-aged man who was sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on the cookies he just pulled out of the oven.

"From the few that I've met… unfortunately," Sona answered and went back to her book. "My advice? Look at them as if they were talking fruit. It's what I do. They live in a completely different world from ours."

"Fruits…" Rias nodded and took the advice to heart. Lost in her thoughts, she sat down on the armrest and began to go down the list of Predators. "Issei must be a Drapple for obvious reasons. Rolan has to be a coconut; hard as hell on the outside but hollow on the inside. Serene has to be…"

*Scene*

"Oi! Vali, he just landed in Berlin. Now Dresden. Shit, now he's in Rostock. How the hell does he jump from…"

_"Germany?!" _the voice of the White Dragon Emperor shouted from the other end of the magic communication. _"I'm still in Poland! Alright, I'm going to have to try and cut him off in Ireland. I'm going right now. By the way he does this every year to stop at every country, I should be able to get there before him if I go there in a straight line."_

"Roger that," Bikou confirmed as he kept an eye on the scrying spell Le Fay was keeping up. "I'll keep you updated on his progress."

The young witch puffed her cheeks as she gave her best glare at her teammate. She had said to Vali on how much she was against the idea of trying to track down her most worshipped idol. And she did so in the Santa Blur hoodie— a limited edition that always sold out but seconds when it was put on the shelf and could be found on the internet for _thousands _of American dollars. Acquiring such an article was childish to the Red Blur's Number One Fan and executive president of the Rainbow Blur Knights Fan Club.

Le Fay was a Blurry, and a proud one at the highest rank of Red.

She almost lost the position and demoted to shameful _White _Blurry, a measly second-rate Blurry but one rank below Red. One day she will have her vengeance against her archenemy, the holder of the White Blurry title, Nakashima Ayame for the embarrassment in knowing what toothpaste Hyoudou Issei used when Le Fay didn't.

Since that day, Le Fay had been getting invitations to those disgusting Rainbow _Chaser _Knights Fan Club as rumors the organization she built were planning a mutiny. She refused to become a Chasister. _Refused!_

"Bikou-sama," she reminded him for the umpteenth time, "Reddobura-sama is delivering presents to good boys and girls like every other year. Vali-sama shouldn't be doing this!"

She somehow knew she would be dragged into helping Vali ever since they formed the team a few months back. Bikou was for it, Arthur didn't care much, and Kuroka went along with it because she had a thing for Vali. But Le Fay? She was completely against it.

But she couldn't say no to her leader. It simply wasn't in her heart.

It didn't stop her from tweaking her scrying spell to give them all wrong information however.

She was NOT a Chasister. She was a Blurry! A BLURRY!

She will be having Vali running (flying) around in circles as he pointlessly tried to engage battle with his 'destined' rival.

*Scene*

"If Ise is Santa Blur…" Seventh Predator Xi'lon Li Qin, the Valkyrie, began to muse from her seat on the floor. "Wouldn't that make White Chaser… Hmm… AH! White Grinch!"

"I was thinking more like Grump Chaser," added Sixth Predator Chase Lance Rolan from behind the couch. He leaned against it with his hands as his red and blue eyes were glued to the screen as much as the next person. "Guy's been trying to catch him every year since this began. I wonder if he realizes this will put him on the shit list of everyone on the planet."

"The White and Red Dragons have desired battle since the day the chaos was split and made them," First Predator Archibald Lolifor put in his part in the conversation from his place at the dining table. "For as long as I can remember Ddraig and Albion have been at another's throats; their vessels in these times made no difference."

Kiba was doing his best to _not freak the hell out. _There were _four _of the world's most dangerous individuals within one room. Though they were all relaxed, just by being near them he could feel their overwhelming murderous presence. He was doing everything in his power to not abandon his teammates, friends, and master and run for— holy hell— as far and as fast as possible from the premises.

There were a few things keeping him locked in place, however. For one, Excalibur continued to sit on his lap, munching away on Sir Siegfried's gingerbread men (always biting the heads off first) and refused to leave. Two, his legs had stopped obeying his commands the moment Li Qin arrived with her 'holier than the holiest of holy swords' (Rolan's words) Instrument of the Originals. He had no idea what that was, but understood the talking sword resting in her lap, disguised as an umbrella, could obliterate him, reconstruct him, and then obliterate him once more. He had seen it happen to poor Lancelet before Siegfried made the Seventh bring her back molecule by molecule.

The last thing that kept him from running away…

Li Qin, the _Valkyrie, _was dressed in some crossbreed outfit between a Santa suit and a magical witch girl found in those hentai Issei watched. Kiba would be more than willing to admit the teenage Predator was drop-dead _gorgeous _and undeniably the most appealing girl in the room, but the atmosphere she kept up around her said otherwise. She simply could not be attractive with her bubbly, childish, immature, and outright innocent personality. It was as if he was checking out a ten-year-old… It made him feel like he needed to take a shower to wash out the disturbing thoughts he had.

Rolan arrived in a knitted Christmas sweater with a family of snowmen holding hands as the main design. He also brought his personal Christmas mug in the shape of a cute cartoonish Santa Blur that all the girls fretted over a few years back. He poured some of Siegfried's hot chocolate in it. Minded… this was all before he entered the house dressed up as a Santa and handed out presents to everyone already here. All of these things simply _could not _go with his permanent scowl of constant aggression.

Then… there was Archibald. Kiba had thought he would have been the most… _sane _of the group. This was not the case. As the living embodiment of humanity itself, Archibald had made Issei's house (already a mansion since Rias' upgrades) that much impossibly bigger with but a snap of his fingers. He claimed it was too cramped. Understandable with how many people were attending. But he didn't need to make it into a _palace _by getting rid of the neighbors and every other building within a full mile radius solemnly for the sake of 'making room'.

According to him and how his… a_bility _(the term used as loosely as possible) works, Archibald claimed every citizen previously living in the area had 'moved away' years ago when the palace began construction. Should anyone look into the archives of the city, they will find the right documents and could even see how aged the papers were to confirm his story. _How _he did that, Kiba, as well as anyone else in the room, could never know.

Now, while Archibald had done all this, he had brought his own assortment of sweets and Christmas knickknacks. And he shared with everyone how lucky he was to find them on sale or how he had gotten the last set of Christmas napkins or how he had to get the snowflake encrusted glasses at a small family-owned shop. He also sobbed how some things he couldn't acquire because they were out of stock or he had run out of bills at certain venues that only accepted cash.

…The third reason why Kiba didn't leave the room was because he simply _couldn't _understand these people. His mind was demanding of him to know or die trying. It was like watching an evacuated building burn. He was simply drawn to it. Even when he knew this building was a fireworks factory with several tons of gunpowder stored and ready to blow up at any second.

Or… to be a little more realistic, a burning nuclear power plant ready to kill everyone in a several mile radius.

"Neh, neh, Sunshine!" Li Qin looked up at her shorter senior with her doll-like eyes. "Did you manage to finish the Christmas special of **Dragon Knight Heroes**?"

From seemingly nowhere, Rolan pulled out a sealed blank disc.

Li Qin leapt with joy, grabbed the disc from his hand, and went straight towards the television.

"Now hold up there, young one," Archibald gained her attention. "Be courteous to those who are still watching the program you are about to change. Ask them first if you may watch your little cartoon, if they are interested, or if you can watch it in another room."

Li Qin puffed her cheeks in annoyance before blowing out her frustrations through her lips. Unbelievably, she listened to her eldest senior and did as was told instead of disintegrating the nearest object within her reach.

"You can watch it when the show's over," retorted Rolan in his usual dry voice. "Or when you go home. Whichever comes first."

"Neh?!" she shrieked and spun around. She leaned up at him with her knees against the cushions and hands against the back rest. "B-But that won't happen until after the party! A-And that's not gonna start till Puppy returns!"

Kiba also didn't… _couldn't _understand her choice of nicknames for her affiliates. Rolan, the ever brooding and sour man, was named Sunshine. Issei, a rampaging dragon capable of leveling the city in even the smallest of temper tantrums, was named Puppy. The Vampire, a grotesque beast who ate people and bathed in their blood, was named Teddy.

Archibald and Siegfried had simpler names that made some sense at least. Archibald was named Uncle while Siegfried was named Lulu. Kiba didn't know what other nicknames she had for the others but was rather curious to find out.

"Tough," Rolan said as he took a few steps away to reclaim his personal space. "You're a big girl. I think you can wait a little while longer."

Li Qin puffed her cheeks again but said nothing more.

"Wait a minute!" shouted Rias as she heard the conversation. Rolan's brows twitched as he was still annoyed by having any conversation start with 'wait'. "You mean _you're _the guy who makes **Dragon Knight Heroes**?!"

"What? The hell did you come to that assumption?" his stare was blunt. He wanted to take a sip from his mug but stopped himself from doing so.

"My family has been trying to buy out Sunlight Studios and hand over their rights to that anime all this time!" she continued, flustered. "You're using Issei's image for your own profit!"

"Pfft," something between a snicker and a snarl escaped his lips. There was no smile and he continued to scowl, but there was a bit of amusement in his eyes. "What are you talking about? Any likeliness of the characters in **Dragon Knight Heroes **is coincidental. Besides, why would I be the producer of the world's shittiest anime within the past twenty years? You people keep acting like I'm the Red Blur's number one fan who tries to glorify his adventures in an animated feature for everyone to see. You and Sera think alike. You think I do this just to spite her and her fixation on the growing popularity of magical girls. Superheroes _are _better than prepubescent children running around in skimpy attire and singing songs of love and friendship…"

He had looked away halfway through his ranting with the mug at his lips without taking a single sip. He continued to mumble to himself, muttering a few nothings about magical girls and heroes, but the words couldn't be found.

"Speaking of which, Chase," Archibald adjusted his glasses in the similar fashion Sona would when she spotted an opening… or an udon shop she hadn't tried out. "Production of a live action movie is underway. It's scheduled to be released for the summer in two years' time."

The Sixth's hands were slammed against the table as his body warped at impossible speeds directly in front of the First. His face was red in both shock and excitement. "W-What?! Don't you dare say those words! Don't you say them unless they're true! Sunlight Studios never announced anything like that! Who the hell is doing it?!"

Archibald calmly answered in the same manner one would in regards to a pushy client. His head was level and he was respectable. "It is to be an American film. It is funded by Columbia, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and I believe the leading role is to be performed by Robert Pattinson."

Blood gushed out of Rolan's mouth as he sank to his knees.

"Why did the World just suddenly acknowledge me as Sixth?" questioned Li Qin.

Apparently the news was so bad it had crippled Rolan in such a way the World no longer recognized him as a Predator.

The Valkyrie clapped her hands together as her ahoge began to bobble around liken to the wagging tail of a dog. "Oh! I'm Seventh again—"

"NO!" shouted Rolan with enough rage to have his Aura leak out into the air and shake the entire house. When he stood, he had grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it. However, he had done so with enough intincity to have it flip in a full rotation. Nothing on its surface was spilt as it had been fast enough for gravity to register. The table landed right back where it had been with only a few things wobbling off balance before settling back to where they once were.

In the background, three of the Knights of the Round raised boards with 10, 9, and 10 drawn in bright red ink. Siegfried told them to stop fooling around and to get back to work. Pots don't clean themselves.

Rolan spun on his heels and pointed a finger at Rias. "GREMORY! We cannot let this blasphemy happen! Gather your troops. We begin production right after New Year's! My people will get in touch with yours and find a suitable number of candidates for each role. We're only going to get the best to play as each hero. Dammit all… I'm going to have to get Sera involved in this if we're going to punch this before M. Night Shama-lamma-dingdong finishes."

Everyone pretended to not notice Archibald's not-so-subtle grin of victory.

Rias looked a little loss with the sudden change in topic. "E-Eh…? But… wait a minute. Shouldn't we get Issei to play the main role? I mean, he _is _the Red Blur."

Rolan gave her a look that made her challenge her intelligence. "…What? Why would… No. You don't get Tony Stark to play as Iron Man. You get Robert Downey Jr to do it for him. Tony Stark is too damn busy being the real hero while Robert Downey Jr does the cinematics in his stead. Why would I get Hyoudou to waste his time doing this when he needs to be a hero in real life?"

"…But Tony Stark is a fictitious character," commented Kiba from his seat across the room.

Rolan looked dumbfounded. Dumbfounded at a comment as though Kiba had said the strangest thing. He looked insulted and baffled at the same time. Like Kiba had the audacity to walk up to the Predator, a being who could kill him in an instant, and be stupid enough to slap him across the face. It was so surreal he needed a moment to collect his thoughts.

"W… Wha…?" escaped his lips eventually. He blinked and the focus returned. "Tony Stark… fictitious?! Next thing you know you'll say something just as ridiculous. What, you think Peter Parker is also fictitious? Or Johnny Storm? Or—"

"Did he just say _Spongebob _isn't real?!" shouted Li Qin with outrage.

…Kiba had no idea what was going on at this point.

"Papa, shame on you," said Excalibur as she stopped her munching to glare her sharp eyes at him. She looked so disappointed. "Elmo is a real person, y'know!"

"I think he did!" bellowed Rolan, answering Li Qin. "Gremory, I'm stealing your Knight. Lucious! Open the portal to the truth!"

A tear into the fabric of reality split open into an oval shape large enough to fit a few persons within. The visage of his familiar could be seen within its vast nothingness.

There was nothing he could do as both Sixth and Seventh Predators grabbed onto his shoulder and dragged him out of his seat and towards the portal. Excalibur, who had been sitting on his lap, swung her legs around his waist and dangled holding onto his chest.

"We'll be back before the party starts," Rolan said as he tossed the blonde combo into the dark abyss. He and Li Qin climbed inside and it shut behind them.

"…What just happened?" Rias asked for anyone to answer.

"They went to reveal to him the eldritch truth," replied Archibald. "Those two. They firmly believe they live in the world of storybooks. I believe their latest comments was… what was it called…? Ah, fanfiction. Yes, we are all in some sort of fanfiction."

"…Coconuts," Rias muttered to herself in a mantra. "Hard on the outside and empty on the inside. Both of them. Empty on the inside. Empty on the inside…"

*Scene*

"I really don't have time for this," muttered Issei under his breath. He hefted the next colossal bag over his shoulder and readied himself.

This happened every year thus far. The number of criminals were always small around this time but they were still there. Those he could deal with. There had been a few natural disasters and he still put up with those. But _this_?! Now this was just bullshit.

Every year some Christmas-themed monster would stir up trouble. The first year it had been a flock of vampiric reindeer. Issei thought nothing of it at the time. The following year it was a troop of elves with weapons fashioned from hard-as-steel cookies and candy canes. It was odd, but whatever. And last year it had been a mechanized nutcracker as tall as a skyscraper. Now _that _he had to pause and question if this was really happening.

This year, he was up against a snowman as big as a mountain. Its fangs were made out of icicles, its eyes burned brightly with charcoal, and its claws made out of whole trees.

But it was slow as fuck. It didn't have any legs and had to twist and turn its entire body left and right in order to pace forward. It'd take a couple of hours for it to reach the nearest civilization.

Issei wondered if he had the time to deal with this creature. Maybe he should go to the next few stops and come back to deal with this. He was starting to fall behind schedule and was arriving a few seconds after midnight instead of being spot-on. If he wasted any more time on this then he'd be a few minutes behind and the whole Santa Blur thing would lose its magic. The children expected, no, _demanded _their Santa to arrive right on midnight!

"Hyoudou Issei!" shouted a familiar voice.

Vali, the White Chaser, had arrived. Issei was a little disappointed the White Dragon Emperor wasn't wearing anything Christmas related. But it's not like the people ever gave him an awesome title like Santa Blur. Come to think about it… what would that make Vali…?

White Grinch? Grump Chaser? This required a little more thought…

No, wait, he didn't have time for this.

"Ah! Vali!" Issei turned around and greeted his self-declared 'rival'. "I'm so glad you're here! You can deal with this guy then. I've only a few more stops to go before I'm done."

"What?!" Vali flinched. "I'm not here because… I'm here to fight yo—"

"Thanks a lot, Vali!" Issei gave him a salute and began to drift back up towards the sky. "Have a merry Christmas!"

He shot towards the heavens in a series of vibrant colors. Perhaps because it was Christmas time even his Gift of Flight was in the spirit of the holidays. A trail of sparkling snow drifted on his tail. It even made the singsong rattling of jingle bells.

"Hyoudou get back here!" shouted Vali. His own wings glowed as he prepared himself to pursue. Issei was leagues faster than him, even when he used his speed of light, and would need to cut him off on his last stop.

Only, Issei's launch had gained the attention of the snowman colossus. It turned at the streaks of light and then noticed Vali. It opened its mouth and breathed a winter's blizzard.

Vali was swept away in its blast before he could take off.

"Are you kidding me?!"

[…Maybe we should just stop, Vali,] sighed Albion from within. [This happens to us every year. Face it. We're a laughing stock. They call us _White Chaser _because we can't catch him. Even all the other Dragons are laughing at me. Oh… how powerful and frightening my name used to be…]

Vali cursed as Albion caught himself into another crying fit. All the while, the snowman was spawning miniature snowmen below its feet and surrounding Vali.

"…Merry Christmas, Albion," he said with heavy sarcasm. "Merry Christmas indeed…"

The fight was on as Vali unleashed a barrage of magic bullets and zipped through their ranks with his fists.

*Scene*

Issei returned home within the next few hours. His last stop was within the Americas; it had been midnight by the time he arrived and Japan was close to starting its new day. Christmas Day here in Japan was pretty much over. All of his neighbors and schoolmates would have celebrated it hours ago and would be in bed by now if they weren't already.

He had been told Devils don't celebrate the holiday. It was probably why Rias never mentioned anything to him and why he didn't think to invite her. He didn't want to make her or any of the other Devils uncomfortable. But it did hurt slightly. Issei was far from Christian and only celebrated the holiday because it was something his parents did. He doubted they were too and had a few memories of them trying to explain the whole Shinto faith to him.

At the least, he had the Church Trio— Asia, Xenovia, and Irina. The three were content waiting for him to return in order to kick off the festivities. Of course, he had been polite enough to invite Ophis and told her she was welcome to bring anyone she wanted… so long as they didn't cause trouble. She didn't give much of a reply though, not that she ever did in the first place. He would also have his seniors, who knew of his plan as the Santa Blur and willingly held their own gathering until the next day just for him.

He removed his large Santa coat and hat before dematerializing his armor. All in all, it was a good day. This year none of the governments had tried to shoot him down or capture him. He had been welcomed in every city he visited all over the globe. There would be backlash the next day on the news and on the internet— people complaining or trying to stir up things. The biggest one was the topic on why the Red Blur visited only those certain cities and not theirs.

…He couldn't make everyone happy. But oh well.

Issei climbed out of his basement, opened the door, and announced he was home.

"MERRY/HAPPY CHRISTMAS!"

Party poppers with bursts of confetti and streamers shot through the air. This was the sort of thing you'd do for birthdays, not Christmas celebrations. But at the least the confetti was in the shape of snowflakes and everything else was in the red and green colors.

"…Eh?" he found himself dumbfounded by the amount of people present.

He had expected a very small crowd to welcome him. The whole Gremory peerage for sure and maybe a few of the other Predators. But he didn't expect others. The Knights of the Round had been there, all eight females including a few he hadn't met yet; members from the Hero Faction and Team Vali (without their leader of course— Issei pondered if he was still fighting that snow creature…); Ophis and Red had accompanied them, naturally; the Primordials he had met in Kyoto along with the ever buxom and beautiful Kyuubi… and her chibi daughter; the eccentric Archmage Richard Royals with his wife…

Issei couldn't make out who else was in the back. There were more people. Everyone had huddled together into a large crowd and had cheered for him at his arrival.

"…Eh?" he found himself asking again.

"Come on, Ise!" pouted Rias. She was dressed in this super sexy Santa outfit that displayed her perfect hourglass figure. She broke free from the crowd to grab his hand and pull him forward. "Everyone is here to celebrate with you! Don't be a dunce and join us!"

"Y-Yes!" he said after forcing himself to take his eyes off her jiggling breasts. He felt something within himself tear having to do it. But he found it to be worthwhile.

Others were wearing similar attire. Akeno's had less fabric and she wasn't ashamed at all by it. She wore it especially for him. Her boobs looked ready to pop out at any instance and Issei found himself captivated by their swaying. Asia had noticed immediately and pulled his hand over her chest. When he felt her still-developing mounds on his sensitive skin, he felt his knees give out. A gooey smile spread on his face.

"Nya, Ise-sempai," Koneko whined and grabbed his other arm.

His smile turned into an open-mouthed gap of astonishment. Koneko was channeling some of her chakra— just enough for her to sprout a tail and cat ears. The image of her cuteness knocked the wind out of his lungs.

And then, Irina and Xenovia joined in the fray. They too were dressed in the scandalous attire and pressed themselves against his body. Their overly generous assets rubbed against him. He felt himself being drowned in an ocean of breasts as the other girls dove in after his affections. And he couldn't find a better way to die.

"Are they seriously doing this?" asked Rolan from his corner. "In front of everyone?"

Snowball, dressed in the same attire and in her sixteen-year-old appearance, pouted silently. Her scowl that made her the trademark City of Angels' Ice Queen was present and deep with jealousy.

"Looks like you lost before the match even started," chuckled Heracles from his side of the room.

"S-Shut up!" barked Jeanne… as she too was in the same outfit. "I was only wearing this b-because it's the holidays!"

No one in the Hero Faction was believing her story.

"I see now," said Cao Cao as he pulled out a notepad and began to write notes. "His power comes from breasts. So this is how he's so powerful. I must strive to be just like him…"

"Um… please don't," begged Georg.

"How else are we going to beat Great Red if we cannot overcome Master Hyoudou?!" he argued. "You agree with me, don't you, Red?"

Red, the avatar of Great Red given human shape through the power of his Dreams, only stared blankly at Cao Cao. He continued to lean against the wall with his arms crossed beside Ophis (who was jabbing at his leg with a sharpened candy cane whenever she thought he wasn't looking). He only had one thing to say to the reincarnated Hero.

"Zoom-zoom, Iyaaan."

"Exactly!" cheered Cao Cao with his charismatic smile. "See, everyone? Red understands! He and I will gain the secret to defeating Great Red before you!"

Red only shook his head at the ignorance of his words.

"B-But I'm Ise-sama's number one fan…" sobbed Le Fay beside her brother. Under her cape and hat was, like all the other women present, the same Sexy Santa costume from the Christmas catalog. They had been sold out but Le Fay found a way to get her hands on one. She wanted to show it for Issei but her idea wasn't impressive enough. She couldn't even get close to her idol. "I'm a Blurry… a Blurry…"

"Well, our plan failed…" said Morgan in her normal dry tone... with extra dryness that sucked up the water in the air. Many of the other Knights nodded. Under their uniforms were the same Santa outfits. There was no point in revealing them at this point. And such a shame. It had taken _a lot _of convincing to get Lancelet to join in.

Aforementioned Knight had her arms crossed and pouting. Of course, none of the Knights were going to comment on this. Lancelet had been looking forward to this despite her protests.

"Honestly… that man…" sighed Rossweisse. She was probably the only female who didn't order that particular costume from the catalog. She wanted her outfit to be a bit more… personal. Her Valkyrie armor had been altered only slightly with fur lining and coated red and white. She had hoped Issei would like the adjustments but it was going to be a challenge of itself to get him to look at her.

"Ah to be young again…" chuckled Sirzechs besides Azazel. "Grayfia, I remember when you used to wear such things for me. Whatever happened to—"

His words were cut off as the silver-haired Queen pulled on his cheek.

Azazel laughed. "Hoh? Serafall-chan, aren't you going to jump into the fray as well?"

"Only if So-tan joins!" Serafall puffed out her chest, letting her bosom bounce as, _she too, _was dressed in the same outfit. The Leviathan was beaming mental messages towards her younger sister across the way.

Sona, with more than enough humility in her to come dressed in more casual attire, was intentionally ignoring the psychic invasion.

It made Serafall deflate, sob on her knees, and draw archaic symbols in the carpet with her finger.

"What I wouldn't give to have Rias wear that for me…" sighed Raizer Phenex. He shook his head and then looked down at his sister. "Ravel, aren't you going to—"

"What?! I have no idea what you're talking about!" Ravel Phenex argued before he could even finish his question. "I-I-I-It's not like I picked this out for I-I-I-Issei-sama! That's just stupid!"

Although she said this, her eyes were glued on the heap of bodies trying to steal her (no-so) secret crush. Why, that damn cat had the audacity to look her way, pause, and then give a chuckle of superiority.

Ravel was going to claw her eyes out. She swore it.

"Ise-sempai!" called out Gasper slid across the floor from within his box. He had been frightened by the amount of people but found strength as soon as his hero arrived. He leapt out of the box and—

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WEARING?!" Issei shouted and threw the girls off of him in a fit of outrage.

Gasper was wearing _the same _Santa suit as everyone else.

"Eh?" the Dhampir blinked. But then he realized the question, smiled, and even did a little twirl to show off his outfit. "Isn't it cute? I saw it online and had to buy it! Do you like it sempai—"

Issei's hands were on the small boy's shoulders and gripping tightly enough to creak his bones. "Gasper, real men don't wear cute dresses. Real men don't wear dresses, period! Men wear clothes for men!"

"But, but, but…" sobbed Gasper.

"Ah, Ise-kun, it's Christmas. I think it's okay just for today. B-Besides…"

Issei raised his head to see over Gasper. His face paled as cold sweat washed over his face.

Kiba _Yumi, _the female version of Yuuto after swapping genders, was dressed in the same Sexy Santa suit. Her head was bowed, a deep blush coating her face, and her eyes were hidden behind her bangs but staring at Issei's. Her arms were in front of her with her hands fiddling between fingers, unintentionally pressing her generous breasts up. Her body was swaying in embarrassment.

"W-Well, Ise-kun? W-What do you—"

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!" Issei shouted as he fell on his knees and slammed his head against the floor. "Y-You damn handsome. You're supposed to be a handsome! Go back to being a handsome! Do you know how hard it is trying to fight off against these urges! My body thinks you're a hot chick and I don't know what to do!"

Yumi blushed deeper as she put her hands to her cheeks. A delightful expression appeared. "Y-You really think that way about me, Ise-kun?"

"…Okay this is getting a little weird," said Rolan aloud. "MUSIC!"

At his command, an orchestra of music began to play. When seeking its originator, they would find a single woman sitting in the furthest corner of the room. A series of instruments floated in the air around her as she swayed her hands around like a conductor. The instruments played in holiday-themed music.

With that, the party began and groups gathered together for celebrations. People of different species and factions chatted amongst another. Drinks were shared, stories were told, hilarities ensured, and laughter was made.

Everyone was sharing their experience within the past year. Of how they met the unique individual known as Hyoudou Issei and why there were all impressed by him. Truly, without him, it would have been a miracle to gather such a diverse crowd together under one roof.

*Scene*

"Ayame, what's wrong?" Issei said as he finally found his sister. So many people had stopped him, wanting to talk to him. He had been polite enough to share a few words and then moved on… and then stopped again by the next group. He eventually found Ayame in the makeshift living room, sitting beside the fireplace.

"Ise-nii," she said after yawning. She looked tired. "Merry Christmas…"

He saw how she was struggling to stay away. There were bags under her eyes.

He leaned close to her and brushed the hair out of her face. "Ayame, how long have you been up?"

"I'm not tired!" she argued, her brows furrowing and newfound fire flared in her eyes. But it immediately went away as she had to blink back the weariness.

He smiled at her, "You've been up since yesterday, haven't you? You helped with the decorations?"

She frowned, not wanting to give in. But she did eventually and answered. "Yes. And the baking. And the shopping. And the—" a yawn, "—cleaning. Lulu-ji is hopeless without me. I watched your broadcast from the beginning. And now I want to spend Christmas with Ise-nii…"

Her brows were defiant. She wanted to stay up to be with him. But it was futile. She had been awake for too long and it was now a large burden to stay up any longer. Her words were slurring and she constantly had to blink. It was like watching a little drunk person argue that they weren't drunk.

He reached down and swept her up into his arms, bridal style. "Come on. You and I can open presents as soon as you wake up. We'll have our own private celebration."

Her droopy eyes widened slightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "…Really?"

"Really," he said with a smile.

She let him carry her out of the party and up the stairs. Despite Archibald's renovations for this evening, he had at least kept the base layout of the building. It had taken a few minutes more to reach Ayame's room only due to the increase in space.

He helped her get undressed, trying his hardest to not look her way. He had to remind herself that she was now and legally _Hyoudou _Ayame and still only twelve-years-old. But she didn't seem to mind. Rather, she sulked at how he wasn't looking at her. But she was too tired to try anything even when it was the most opportune moment… where those damn hussies weren't trying to steal her precious brother. There were so few moments when they were alone.

He tucked her into bed. She held on to his hand to stop him from leaving. Capturing his attention, she pointed directly up.

And there, hanging over her bed, was some mistletoe.

She had planned this much at least.

Issei scratched his cheek, unsure on what to do. But the longer he thought about it, the more his instincts were warning him on danger. Ayame's glare was piercing and only growing stronger. The little girl was starting to think dark thoughts. If he didn't think of something, and quick, she would concoct a plan that could leave him hospitalized for the next few days. Predator perk warning him or not.

He brushed the hair out of her face once more and bent down. Ayame had cupped his face and leaned herself upward. She closed her eyes and went to meet his lips.

…He instead kissed her brow.

"Good night, Ayame," he said in a soft and caring voice.

She could only glare at him in irritation. Ayame let go of him, tossed to the side with her back towards him, and muttered darkly…

"Issei, go to Heaven."

It felt like an arrow had pierced his heart. He visibly flinched. Not from the words, but the tone she had used. Her tongue was always sharp and knew the best way to inflict pain.

"Ise-nii…" she began in a low voice. So low he had to strain to hear. "I love you…"

He sighed at her tendencies. Nasty one instance and sweet the next. He didn't understand women.

"I love you too," he replied and stroked her hair. He remained at her bedside until she closed her eyes and eventually drifted off into sleep.

When he exited and shut the door behind him, he hadn't expected Sona to be waiting for him. There was this silent agreement between all the girls that Issei would be in hands-off territory whenever he was alone with his sister. But here she was, probably breaking that pact.

"Oh, uh, Sona…" he began nervously. No good ever came when she reached out for him. Especially in isolated environments. He immediately began to think the worst. "I-I'm sorry about all this! I know you would have yelled at me if I told you so I didn't tell you. And that was probably my mistake… not telling you. But I _really _didn't want to get lectured by—"

"I'm not here for that," she cut him off, fixing her glasses. Her eyes were closed. "I'm here… to apologize. You're right, I would have lectured you about all of this because of past events with the Predators and your bouts with the Khaos Brigade. But, it appears I was in the wrong. Everyone is behaving appropriately… as appropriately as is socially acceptable anyways. They all seem to be getting along… because of you."

He didn't know what to say about that. He could only look away bashfully as he scratched the back of his head. "I, uh, think I should apologize too. I remember you saying Devils don't celebrate Christmas so I didn't think I should have invited you. I didn't want to offend you… but I might have anyways. I'm sorry I— urk!"

"Hm?" Sona blinked. She saw Issei spot something on the ceiling and then freeze in place. Her eyes went to follow what it was but…

"Why don't we get back to the party?!" Issei nearly shouted frantically as he began to push her down the hall. He was starting to sweat. "Why don't we get as far away from here as possible before—"

"Before I notice the mistletoe, Ise?" she glared at him.

His body froze. Even his nervous smile. He was as still as a statue.

Life returned to his body as he fiddled with his fingers. "I-I didn't put that there, I swear! Ayame must have. I would never put that there to get Sona in that position… even if it'll make me happy to kiss— I didn't mean that! I don't want to kiss you! No! Wait! I didn't mean it like that! I would love to kiss you— but I wouldn't— I mean… please don't yell at me…"

He bowed his head and slouched his shoulders. A sniffle came from him.

"…Honestly," Sona removed her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She didn't put them back on when she was done, however. "Do you think me as such a shrewd, Ise?"

Her face was scarlet as she closed the distance between them. Her hands pressed against his chest as she raised herself up to match his height on her toes. Quickly, before he could react and sputter more nonsense to ruin the mood, she pecked him lightly on his lips.

Her blush intensified by the time she lowered herself. Their eyes never left. And she never moved away from him.

He took that as a sign. His hands were on her hips and he closed the distance. He took the initiative this time. Their lips met, this time lasting more than a small peck.

It was a short and quick engagement, all things considered. They parted from another without another word. Sona's face was a full shade of red, reaching all the way to her ears and down her neck. She took the moment to gather herself by placing her glasses back on with both hands. Her fingers lingered at her lips for a brief moment.

She huffed and then jabbed a finger at his chest. "I accept your apology. Now, I expect you to make an appearance, _Demon Lord Hyoudou, _at the Grand New Years' Ball. Remember Onee-sama is your sponsor so if you fail to make an appearance you're going to embarrass her. And I'll very upset if I don't see you there. I… would be _very _upset if I didn't have the first dance of the New Year."

"Urm… yes?" Issei replied with what he believed to be the best answer. He couldn't figure out what was right or wrong whenever Sona got like this. He remembered the days when they would be strictly friends and he had a better grasp on her personality. Now, as a firm candidate to be his wife along with Rias Gremory, their relationship was obscured. He couldn't understand these random mood swings.

"Good enough," she said with a satisfied nod. She stepped away from him and smoothed the surface of her winter blouse. Sona would resume as she normally would and pretend the previous engagement had never happened.

Or, she would have… If she didn't turn around and realize she had gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Both she and Issei broke out in cold sweat.

There, at the edge of the hallway, was Issei's full harem. They had seen the entire exchange.

"Shots have been fired!" one of the girls shouted. He thought it was Irina or… Serafall?

"HYOOOUUUUDDDOOOOOOUUUUU!"

"Oh, shit!" shouted Issei. He quickly turned and began running.

There, blazing in obsidian armor and black flames, Saji was pursuing close behind. "How dare you touch Kaichou! I thought we had a deal! What happened to the bro-code you girlfriend stealer?!"

"She kissed me!" Issei shouted in his defense. He avidly dodged tongues of black flames and weaves of dragon silk that could tear him to shreds. Both were tricky to deal with and were a bitch to recover from. Vritra's black flames were the hardest to gain a resistance from.

"Issei, you prat!" Sona shouted after him. "Don't throw me under the bus like that! You kissed me too!"

"Sona~" Rias was cackling as her Power of Destruction oozed between her fingertips. The black and red demonic essence breathed and coiled around her fingers like a serpent. "I thought we had an understanding~"

"So-tan… how could you?" cried Serafall. Though she was crying from the (supposed) betrayal, her own frozen essence was leaking into the hallway. She only got that while she was angry. "You're only allowed to kiss Onee-sama…"

"I call for an inquisition," demanded Xenovia.

"Second!" shouted Irina.

"Third!" called Rossweisse.

"Your vote doesn't count, Homewrecker-san," muttered Koneko.

"H-Homewrecker?!" Rossweisse fell into a sobbing fit. "But, but… Ise and I are… Our love is recognized by the Norse Pantheon!"

"Sona-Kaichou!" cried Asia. "I thought you were my sister! How could you?"

"Take her to… the movie parlor," said Akeno in a dark voice.

Sona's face paled as she knew what this meant. "N-No! Anything but that! Please! Don't make me watch **Dragon Knight Heroes**! Anything but that horrible anime!"

Sona continued to struggle in vain as the girls carried her away. Her shouts were heard throughout the whole house but none came to her aid. She would not be seen again until later on. And she would resurface into the world as a changed woman.

*Scene*

"I'll have you know it's the number one anime right now all across the world," Rolan said bitterly.

"Who are you talking to?" asked Serene as she took her seat in the circle.

"Someone. Anyone. I don't know," he groaned as he scratched his brow. "I just had the urge to defend my favorite show. It felt like it was being used as an instrument of torture… again."

"Did it ever occur to you that _no one _likes that show?" asked Issei as he approached the circle. He had managed to outrun Saji but he had suffered a few minor burns here and there. His skin was still smoking.

"The hell happened to you?"

"…Meh," Issei mumbled, not wanting to give an answer. He went to take his seat across of them.

Except a hand pushed him back towards the center, away from the chair.

"I'm sitting here," declared Philips.

"Eh? Philips-san? Sorry. I didn't see you there. When did you arrive?"

"…I've been here the whole time," he answered. There might have been some bitterness in his voice. Maybe anger. Maybe frustration. Maybe depression. But Issei couldn't tell. It was just a blank face without expression due to his _Radiance of the Sun. _"We had a conversation about my daughters. You asked me how old they were, you got excited to find my oldest was your age, and then I punched you for your perverted thoughts."

"Eh? Really?" Issei thought for a moment as he took one of the spare seats… this time making sure there was no one invisible there. "Now that you mention it… my face does kinda hurt a little… And my shin now for that matter…"

"…I kicked you for forgetting about me just now," said the Fifth as he crossed his arms.

And then, he was forgotten entirely from the circle.

"Is it that time already?!" Li Qin appeared and took her seat between Issei and Rolan. "I have my gift ready! Who gets to go first?"

"Now, now, child," chided Archibald as he took his seat beside Issei. "Wait for the others to arrive. Then we can begin. Those are the rules, do you remember?"

"…Can I at least know who pulled my name this year?" she asked with her large doll-like eyes. "Please?"

"My word, she even said please," Ludwig was in the midst of folding up his apron by the time he entered the circle and took his seat. "You rarely ever hear that from Mistress Xi'lon."

"I say my 'pleases' and 'thank yous'!" she defended herself. "Tell them, Mars!"

The parasol she waved around in her hands said nothing. It couldn't tell a lie… but it also wasn't stupid to shoot itself in the foot by going against the wishes of its master.

"Neh…" Li Qin deflated.

Issei looked around and realized they had all sat in the circle of chairs according to their seniority. Again. They always did it year after year and claimed to have never noticed until one of them pointed it out. Perhaps it was some intricate subconscious command placed onto them by the World? Or an act of their own? This was the fourth year with them and he couldn't believe it was coincidence by this point.

"We're missing the fatass," said Rolan as he eyed the one empty chair in the circle. "Anyone know where he is?"

"Normally we'd ask you that," Serene rebuked. "Have you lost your rabbis-infected dog again? Please don't tell me he's masquerading as one of the guests. Did nobody tell him this wasn't that sort of party?"

As if on cue, a large globous mesh fell from the fireplace. Its mass was so big it had put out the roaring fire instantly. It began to move, squirming from the heat of the ashes as well as the awkward landing. A pair of legs could be made out and managed to find its way out of the fireplace. Soon after that, the figure was able to crawl out.

The Fourth cursed as he patted the sooth and ash off his Santa suit. But not before pulling a flask out of one of the pockets and taking a swig. Right after, he reached back into the fireplace and tried to pull out the large black sack that had gotten stuck through the chimney. He eventually managed to pry it free and drag it across the floor. He continued to mutter curses under his breath.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized in something that almost sounded sincere. "You'd not believe how big of a bitch it was to get my gift. I had to— NO! NO! DOWN YOU DAMN THING!"

Something within the sack began to stir. Some animal by the sound of its whining and the way it began to flip around in the sack. The Fourth tackled it before it could make a break for it, wrestled around on the floor with it, and eventually managed to stop its squirming by hitting it a few times. He dragged the bag back to the side of his chair before he began to disrobe.

"Damn thing. Thought I had it tranquilized long enough. So anyways, how's everybody doing? Glad I made it just in time for the…"

When he took off his coat, his eyes went straight for Rolan. The Fourth was wearing the same knitted sweater with the family of snowmen holding hands. They looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Really, bra?" the Fourth lifted his hands. "Really? You're wearing the same… My Ma made this for me, man. How did you even… You know what, fuck it. I'm keeping it on."

The Vampire crossed his arms and sat on his seat. The chair groaned from his weight and nearly collapsed. He continued to grumble under his breath as he took a few more swigs from his flask.

"…Viri made me this…" Rolan said as he stared at his own sweater, trying to unravel some great mystery on how two women (whom Issei had no clue about) had managed to make the same knitted patterns. Maybe they followed some stencil?

"You know, lad," Ludwig got Issei's attention for the moment. He pointed at the television screen still displaying some of the Santa Blur events. But, currently, it was covering the recent attack on the snowman colossus over in Canada. "That _was _a Predator-class threat. The World sent you there for a reason. Are you sure you should be here doing this?"

"Oh. That…" Issei suddenly recalled that snowman monster. He had forgotten about it. Hours on end since he left and the thing had yet to come anywhere near any civilized area. "Vali showed up. I'm sure he can take care of that."

"That is a beast of winter," Archibald turned his attentions at the screen. He stroked his chin as he observed the creature, admiring it even. "A winter incarnation itself. It creates blizzard and thrives off of them. A perpetually growing spirit that grows stronger as the winter stays long and shall do so by creating its own winter. Eventually it will cover the whole world in ice. Are you sure the White Dragon Emperor—"

"Grump Chaser!" interjected Li Qin.

"—is enough to deal with it?" concluded Archibald without pause or even acknowledging the Seventh's argument.

Issei shrugged. "I trust Vali to take care of the job."

Archibald nodded neutrally, "It is your target. I shall respect however you wish to deal with it."

"Gifts!" shouted Li Qin as the group was starting to break into their own private conversations. She lifted a neatly wrapped box above her heads and waved it around. "Who's going first?!"

"The right always belongs to the host," Archibald answered professionally. "Mister Hyoudou, if you will…?"

Issei gulped. He had been worried about what to get to the man who could acquire anything and everything. So, he gave him the only thing Issei knew how to make. He handed the small paper bag over to the First. "I, uh, actually had you this year, Archibald-sempai."

The eldest raised his brows as he accepted the brown bag. He examined it clinically and could determine everything about it. His power told him the boy had been rushed in crafting the prize within and didn't have the time to wrap it. There could have been alternatives but Issei had grabbed the first thing he saw. But it didn't matter. What mattered was the article within.

A smile of wonder spread his old lips. What Archibald had pulled out was something he _could _have gotten anyone to make. Something he could have found through his own merits. Something he could replicate using his own powers. But what he couldn't replicate, locate, or purchase was the amount of love and care placed inside the creation.

It was a plush doll in the likeness of Archibald Lolifor himself.

While the gift was the doll itself, he accepted what it represented more so. The potential of humanity and the concepts that Primordials, gods, and other higher beings could never hope to understand.

"Thank you, Mister Hyoudou, I shall treasure this throughout the ages," he tucked it back inside the paper bag and let it rest on his lap. He then pulled a wrapped box from seemingly nowhere. It wasn't extravagant compared to the _disposable _things the Gremory family would use. Perhaps the First was simply modest in his spending… or cheap.

Li Qin's face lit up when the box was offered towards her. She accepted it, undid the ribbon, and pulled off the lid.

Issei wanted to punch someone.

"I've never seen this one before!" she squealed in delight as she pulled out a long red coat. He recognized it immediately. "This is the Red Blur's Alice Hunter coat! It hasn't even gone on sale yet and Mars won't let me take one! I love it!"

It was actually a coat resembling what he looked like when he Promoted to Queen under Juggernaut Drive. He was pretty sure nobody had seen him use it. But _someone _must have if it was aired in animation on that stupid **Dragon Knight Heroes **show.

Li Qin was already wearing it by the time she handed her present over to…

…And then Rolan was delivering a gift to Serene.

"Huh?" Issei asked aloud. He was sure Li Qin was giving it to someone else. It felt like he had blacked out in that instant.

"Don't tell me you pulled out my name," Serene said as she eyed the bag hanging in his hands.

"I didn't. I'm giving this to you because you wouldn't have noticed it even if Artemis slapped you across the face with it," he replied in his usual blunt manner.

Oh. So Li Qin had pulled out Philips' name and then Philips had a gift for Serene. How Li Qin managed to hand her gift over without—

"Neh…?" the Valkyrie was spinning around in her chair, looking for the gift she just had in her hands. "Where did…? How did…? What was I doing again…?"

Ah. It seemed she was victim to Philips' EX-rank presence concealment skill.

Serene pulled out a series of tissue paper from the bag until she uncovered a large book. It was a photo album. And it looked to be full of pictures as well.

She opened the first page…

And shut it without hesitation.

"I don't know what sort of joke this is," she began dryly, matching the tone Rolan would have used. "Nor do I know why you gave this to me. But I am not amused."

Rolan leaned over his left and asked aloud, "What the hell did you get her this year?"

Issei didn't know who he was asking but he apparently received his answer. His eyes had widened. A snort escaped as his lips curled without his control. Rolan's eyes had met with Issei's. And suddenly he couldn't hold back his laughter.

"She… She seriously wanted that this year?!" he laughed aloud. "How did you even… Seriously? That's great! Only you could pull it off!"

"Um… Amy… what did you get?" Issei asked.

"I-It's nothing, Master," she stuttered. Serene didn't stutter. Ever. Nor would she she blush and advert her gaze from him. He didn't think it was possible for someone of her stature. Now it made him twice as curious to find out—

"They're all pictures of you, Hyoudou," cackled Rolan.

"THEY ARE NO SUCH THING!" cried Serene as her face turned scarlet and arms hugged the photo album.

"Then, please, great herald of lies, prove me wrong," Rolan challenged with a snicker.

Serene refused to budge.

Li Qin raised her hand, "Oh, oh, oh! Rosie, can you get me a copy of that? Or at least of the first page? I _really _wanna have that picture of Puppy showering…"

A spot of drool fell from her lips.

"I'm doing _what _in what picture?!" shrieked Issei.

"Oh, look, Chase, here, your gift!" Serene shouted frantically as she shoved the box at her feet into his arms. "Open it so we can _never _come back to this again. Hurry up now!"

Smoothly, she slid the album back into the bag and pushed it behind her seat with her foot. Out of sight and out of mind, one might say.

But it's not like Issei was going to forget something like that anytime soon.

"Fine, fine," sassed Rolan as he began to peel away at the wrapping paper. He took his time, mostly taking one corner at a time as though the thing would explode in his face. He even eyed it as if it would. But then he blinked. He had spotted something. A colorful streak of the article hidden within.

He forbade subtlety and tore the wrapping with gusto. His eyes were wide and only grew wider as…

Issei gave an audible grown. Seriously?!

"This is the super ultra-rare collector's edition of the Red Blur figurine of Episode Forty-Seven in replication of scene seven and sequence sixteen…" his words were fast as his eyes were glazed. He was totally lost in himself as if the _toy _in his hands was like the answer to all his problems. "My god. They said it didn't exist. They said I was crazy. But I knew. I knew it exists!"

To clarify, it was a replication of Issei's [Potential] transformation. The kind the cameras _couldn't _capture. Issei could count the number of people who had seen that form. _How the FUCK _the schmucks in Sunlight Studios had been able to learn about it was beyond him.

"Amy… marry me," Rolan turned and asked her with a dead-serious look in his eyes.

She frowned. "No."

He shrugged, placed the box on his lap (there was no way he wasn't going to let it out of his reach), and pulled a small box out of his jean pocket. "Louie, catch."

He tossed it to Ludwig, who caught it easily enough.

"…I thought you pulled my name," stated Serene.

"Let's not start that again," concluded Rolan.

Ludwig pulled out a small charm from within the box. As far as Issei could tell there was nothing special about it. It was just a small piece of metal carved into the shape of a sword. There wasn't anything decorative about it.

But Ludwig flexed his hands around it as the charm rested in his palm. When his fingers curled, a sword appeared in his grip. Now _that _was immaculate. It was an estoc as long as his arm made of the finest steel and polished like a mirror. Gems decorated its pummel and fancy inscriptions of Germanic words lined its guard.

Recognition flashed through Ludwig's eyes. His fingers nimbly traced the flat of the blade. "…This was my mother's sword."

"It's not the real one," shrugged Rolan. There was an apologetic look in his eyes. "There's nothing I could have done for that one. This replication has all the properties of her finest work and can take the form of all the other weapons she made as well. It's mostly for decoration, to frame and adore really. But, I suppose you can use it for combat. Not for things we deal with on a normal basis but a decent enough sword for everything else, I suppose."

Ludwig had flicked his wrist again and again. Each time, the sword became something else. A rapier, a dagger, a straight sword, a hatchet, and even a war hammer. Each one as beautiful as the last and blessed by something divine and coated with magic.

"This is a marvelous gift," the Dragon Slayer said in a quiet voice. His eyes were distant though he continued to stare at the weapon. It was a stare of one living memories of a lost past. He flicked his wrist one more time and the blade reverted back into its charm. He placed it back within its box and tucked it into the breast pocket of his suit.

"This year I pulled your name out," Ludwig began as he pulled out the flat box resting on his lap. "At least I am assuming it was yours. The ticket was a little smudged so I couldn't make out what was written on front. But, who else would it be but you?"

Ludwig handed the box over to Serene, who then handed it over to the Vampire upon his request.

"Hm?" the Fourth accepted the box with a raised brow as he began to pull back the strings. "Now what could such an old engineer get me for the Winter Solstice? I still use those sets of lightsabers you got me a few years back. My brother Josh and I still play Jedi with them and I… oh my."

Inside contained a set of kitchen cutlery. They were in two stacks of six knives of various sizes. The metalwork was… strange, at least to Issei. He never seen metal folded enough times to have a plaid and/or checkered pattern. Then again, he never knew any other type of metal other than the stainless steel his mother had purchased at the appliance store.

The Fourth picked up one knife— one of the four steak knives in the set. He appraised the blade, bent it in half and then bent it back, and nodded in significant approval. "This is indeed some fine work, old man. And is this…?"

He licked the blade and smacked his tongue against his lips as though tasting the flavor. His eyes widened as a smile grew. "This has been forged out of the blood of… No! Father Jeremiah?! The Archbishop of Madness himself?! Better, it's been cooled inside his brain while he was still alive?! Ludwig you sick son of a bitch. Thank you. I've been looking for some new kitchen knives."

Issei gulped. By process of elimination, it was now his turn. And it was the Fourth who had pulled his name this year. Which meant whatever was in that sack was for the Dragoon.

The Vampire placed his things away, stood, and dragged the sack across the circle and then lifted it up so whatever was inside could stand. He held it firmly so the thing within couldn't break free, though it was trying once more in his grip.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure what to get you," the Vampire began. "Thought about some books to help your lovin' with the ladies, maybe some educational videos, or some toys. Bah, I said, who needs those? You seem to be doing fine. You're really hard to shop for, you know that? But then my bro recommended this and I thought, sure, why the fuck not? So here you go kid. Enjoy."

He opened the sack, pulled it down to the floor to reveal what was within, and then shoved it towards Issei. The Dragoon only had an instant to catch it.

It was a girl. A _very _pretty thing roughly his age with hair as white as snow, evergreen leaves sticking out here and there, almond tanned skin, and a long red winter's robe. Her eyes were gold and glowing like the last rays of the setting sun. As she pressed herself against him, fumbling around for balance, Issei could feel her breasts pushing up on his chest. Immediately his mind could tell him of the size, elasticity, and perkiness of the mounds. They were of some serious high quality.

That, and his hand was already cupping one of them by the way he caught her. A squeeze.

His mouth gaped open. By the Great Lords of the Debauch they were _magnificent_.

"Oh, her?" Archibald gave his own appraising stare and found what he had been searching for lacking.

"…Fucking hell we're going to have fucking Keeblers here, aren't we?" cursed Rolan.

"And here we go again," sighed Serene.

Before Issei could ask, the girl sitting in his lap realized where she was. Their eyes had locked. Her face flushed red. He went to move his hand away, or at least tried, but his mind and his body ran on two different systems. So when he told it to let go, the hand defied him stubbornly and gave another firm squeeze of her right breast. And then his mind was complying, accepting fate and believing any hell the girl would lash at him would be worth it. For her breast was of some extremely high quality.

That wasn't the case when she snarled, "You."

"…Eh?" was all he could say.

Her hands were gripping his shirt. Their faces were dangerously close to each other, their brows touching. Her anger didn't reside. "I lost my job because of you!"

"…Eh?!" was all he could say. Again.

*Scene*

In the most ancient of times, to the farthest east of the globe, there was a deity that guarded a small village. She was a creature of the forest who watched over the game dwelling within and kept the cold winter from destroying everything. She was a god of life, of sunlight, of winter, of love, of fertility, and of protection.

The people worshipped her. Year after year they would make sacrifices in her honor. Children were her favorite and the village would be bountiful and healthy when a child was given in her name. The ritual was to have the child wander into the forest until they met this motherly spirit. Most children were never seen again but, every now and then, after several years, the child would return as an adult and tell of their tales how their goddess nurtured them and taught them her secrets.

She was always there for the winter, warming houses and using her body made out of the trees against the harsh winds and unforgiving snow. She was there more during the rituals of union— she always blessed the gathering of two, for they would always bring her more children.

But as the years continued on, as she watched the children she loved grow old, wither, and then die, she grew lonely. She wanted a child of her own but could not have a man. For not without trying. She fornicated with the men of the village but none could give her a child.

A strange woman arrived to the village one day, drawn in by the goddess' tears. The goddess was captivated by her beauty. She was far more beautiful than any mortal— and far more beautiful than she. And there was this connection that the goddess could not understand but had been familiar enough. It was… a sort of bond. Like a daughter looking up to her mother…

She was the Earth Mother.

The Earth Mother had heard her daughter's cries and offered to help. She pulled three strands of hair from her head and wove them together into an effigy. The goddess embraced this effigy close…

In time, a child was born from the goddess.

Time resumed on and the child grew, but never growing beyond the age of a child. It was forever young, frozen in time just as the goddess was. It was always a playful creature, playing with the children of the villagers offered in the sacrifices.

But the child was hungry. Always. It always ate the sacrificed children after so long until its hunger grew. When it had not been enough, it would stalk into the village and steal another child in the middle of the night. It no longer hunted out of hunger but now out of pleasure. It enjoyed the taste of human flesh and craved it the more it consumed.

Eventually, the villagers would have enough.

One night, they captured the demon. They burned it on a pyre.

The goddess had heard the screaming of her child and cried for its death. Her screams became a howling wind. The sun darkened above their heads. Winter had never been so cold before.

The village was wiped out, infected by a plague unlike any other.

Grieving nonstop, the goddess' howls continued to be heard as the wind carried her tale. The song it sang spread her misery. It attacked the villages nearby. It attacked whole cities.

The wind continued to spread as the goddess continued to cry.

The people she was killing were becoming her sacrifices. Their cries of mercy and torment, their curses and their sorrows, and their inevitable death were in her name. She wanted her tale to be told. She wanted the people to know of the suffering she was going through. And the mortals were forced to feel it. Her song of torment continued to travel, claiming death upon death far and wide. The more died, the more powerful she became.

Her song had been heard throughout the entire continent and only continued to grow.

A man in black garb had appeared, deaf to her song. He carried a silver sword in one hand, a leather book in the other, and a cross around his neck.

Saint Solstice, the Church's guardian of the winter and summer, had ended the perpetual winter as he fought against the pagan goddess. He surrendered his life doing so. Her last scream was a testament of their battle. And as she faded, the warmth of the sun began to return.

But a new legend was already forging by her destruction. The goddess would return in due time. Her story would begin again despite Saint Solstice's sacrifice. There had been too much death in the world for it to be ignored. The rumors, myths, and legends of the abomination that had spread the Black Plague would return by the fears of the people.

The Church acted. The Inquisitors were made. Pagans and heretics were stamped out— anyone who so much as thought the plague had been from blasphemous origins were tortured and executed. Just as many died in the name of God as they had from the plague. The fear of God was put inside the hearts of people just as much as the fear of the plague. Eventually, people began to fear the Church more and were beginning to forget about the plague. Slowly, but surely, the legend of the forest deity was beginning to change.

And when she would return, she would be in a new form…

"Thus, we have Christmas," finished Rolan.

"…What?" Issei asked; it felt like his brain had been deep fried. He looked at Serene, who had given him a nod that, yes, this bullshit story was true.

"So then…" Issei tried again. His mind needed a moment to reboot. "What does she have to do with all of this?"

The girl (who was still sitting on his lap for whatever reason) crossed her arms and huffed. "I _am _that goddess! I am the mother of winter and the herald of the solstice!"

Slowly, painfully, things were starting to come together. He figured this girl (wasn't she supposed to be a mother? She's, like, fifteen? Sixteen? _Gods_) was the goddess of the story all along. Why else would Rolan spew the secret meaning of Christmas for twenty minutes? But he still didn't understand something else.

"…Um, Goddess-chan, what job did I steal from you exactly?"

She stood, gracefully and flawlessly. Her feet were bare and when her robes swayed he could pick up the scents of winter bark, evergreens, and mint. "It is my sole purpose to make the children under my guardianship happy. How can I do that when all they talk about is how the Santa Blur did this? How the Santa Blur did that? I only get one year for people to remember me and you're stealing my thunder!"

"…Eh?" he said. _Again._

"For fuck's…" Rolan sighed. "Dipshit, she's _Santa_."

Issei blinked. He pointed at… Santa, and looked at all his seniors to see if they were bullshitting him. Apparently they weren't. Nods of confirmation were given.

"…But Santa's a man," he tried to find the logic in all this.

Santa's(?) lips twitched.

"As was defined by the Church," Serene informed him. "They did everything they could to alter the truth. No one even remembers her name. I doubt even she."

Now, tears were beginning to form from the corner of her eyes. Apparently Serene had hit a soft spot.

Issei stood and scratched the back of his head. As he thought further about it… he had been portraying Santa for the past few years. He had thought little about it. Then again, he always knew very little about the supernatural world and hadn't fully delved into it until he became a Devil. He just thought he was doing something nice for the people. If his seniors knew about this Santa(?) then why wouldn't they stop him?

He felt like he owed this girl an apology anyways. He bowed his head and offered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to steal your job from you. I didn't even know you existed…"

"Shots fired," said Rolan as he quickly stood from his seat and walked away from the circle.

Everyone stood up as well and followed right after him. In haste.

Issei looked around and wondered why they were leaving.

The winter goddess' face was fuming red. Her lips were trembling as her hands were curled into fists at her side. She was shaking in barely contained anger as the tears were now ready to come cascading down.

He said the wrong words, he realized.

"I HATE YOU!" she shouted.

The next thing he knew, Issei was thrown back. He crashed through one, two, three, _four _walls before being ejected out of the house entirely. He landed on his back and slid against the sleek frozen street before flipping back onto his feet.

This girl had managed to get around his Predator's perk. He hadn't even sensed her intentions.

She was outside in a moment to meet him. Her red robes swaying as the power of winter flowed around her. It began to snow as the wind picked up.

Still, he couldn't help but notice she had great legs.

** "Do you know who I am?"**

His eyes widened. She was speaking in a voice of power. The same he would when announcing his presence.

There was fire in her eyes. Fire as luminous and scorching as the sun's summer rays. The bushes and flowers surrounding the mansion's garden started to grow. Thick vines and branches full of thorns wrapped around her. They were starting to weave together, animate, becoming something liken to wolves.

**"I am Zero Predator, the Black Death!"**

"…Shit," was all he could say.

What felt like the full force of a blizzard hit him without warning. And then he felt the pricks and shredding of the thorned wolves digging into his skin. It was all too fast, even with his draconian senses. She wasn't going to pull any punches in this… tantrum?

It felt like a tantrum. It felt like something Rias would do when he ogled any of the other girls or Sona when he did something stupid.

He sighed. It was going to be one of _those _fights.

**"Balance Breaker!"**

*Scene*

"What's going on?!" Rias Gremory came bursting onto the balcony when she felt the whole house shake. Some of the other guests had noticed and also the extremely high spike in energy. It was hard to miss the power of an Ultimate-class God.

Seven of the eight Predators were gathered at the balcony. Some sipping drinks, Li Qin was munching on popcorn as though this were a movie, and others were simply leaning against the railing watching everything transpire.

"Issei's gift is throwing a tantrum," Rolan answered with only so much care to satisfy her inquiry. He knew it wouldn't be enough for someone like her and so offered more. "Not that it's her fault. I mean, do you know what's the _worst _thing you can say to any god's face? 'I don't believe in you'. Fuck, even I believed in Santa before learning all this crap."

Serene looked over at him. "…You believed in Santa this whole time? Even as a grown man? If I recall, you didn't learn about her until I told you that Artemis boy defeated her."

"Details," he waved his hand to shoo her away.

Rias joined them and placed her hands against the railing. She tried to see beyond the blizzard storm but the snow was too thick. She could make out flashes of red light coming from Issei's retaliation but nothing more. All the other Predators could see something, though.

"Shouldn't you do something about this?" she asked for any of them to answer.

In _perfect _unison with each motion synched, all seven of them shrugged.

She could only groan and rub her brow.

"…What did Issei even do?" she asked instead. It was a simpler question. Well, as simple as things normally went. At least she had a better chance of understanding the eccentric pervert she loved over his seven _clearly crazed _counterparts.

"I told you," Rolan said, a little more annoyed. "Told her he didn't believe in her."

"…But Santa's a—"

"I'M NOT A MAN!" a shrill voice screamed from the wind.

"…Fuck," half of them cursed, placed their things down, and prepared themselves.

Rias was smacked in the face by the blunt of the winter storm as the barrier keeping it at bay was shattered. She was consumed in hoarfrost that numbed her body and knocked the wind out of her lungs.

A hand grabbed her wrist. She couldn't see anything through the blinding white storm. But there was warmth in that grip. It traveled deep into her skin without burning her and then ran up her arm through the veins. She felt her body warm up and gain resistance to the cold.

She recognized the signature. It had been Rolan who saved her from the cold.

"Get back inside, Gremory," his voice could hardly be heard. "I'll not save you twice."

He turned her around and pushed her back. She could only assume it was the way back inside.

*Scene*

"That damn Godking had to deal with this bullshit?!" Rolan shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice amplified by his Aura for all his counterparts to hear.

"He had help!" Serene shouted back. She didn't have any such augmentations so her voice was mostly lost. She also couldn't see a single inch in front of her.

They had been separated. Some great beast made of thorns— more like wholesome trees than _thorns _by the size of it— had destroyed the balcony and pursued some of the others. Of course, by sheer dumb misfortune, Rolan and Serene were stuck together.

Rolan wasn't talking about the storm. That he could deal with. His Aura could push the wind back while both his Flame and Frost could distill the cold entirely. And his eyes allowed him to see several layers within.

He was talking about the things he was seeing within.

"Fucking Keeblers…" he snarled.

"What?" Serene shouted, trying to catch what he had said.

"KEEBLERS! COMING OUT OF THE FUCKING TREES!"

Little people began to charge at them by the hundreds. They were all the victims of the plague those many centuries ago, children at that, only morphed by the legend the Church had manufactured. They were grotesque little things hardly resembling humans. Their bodies were black with decay and filled with welts and puss from the plague. Their eyes were hollow, their nails were sharpened into makeshift claws, and their teeth had been filed into fangs.

…They were also dressed in aprons and chef hats or green and red suits full of bells.

"_When _I live through this," he snarled as he began to channel his Flame through his left hand. "Rias Gremory is totally going to—"

"What?" Serene called out again.

…He knew she heard him. She did that on purpose.

*Scene*

Across the ocean, Vali was getting his ass handed to him.

It had been a simple monster. It was large. It was slow. It was stupid. But nothing seemed to be working against it. He could melt it with his magic, he could use Divide to suck up its power, and he could reduce it to mush with his fists.

But it kept coming back. Always. It had at the starting point been a giant snowman. It was cute all things considered. But after each resurrection the thing had become some jagged titan made of ice and snow alike.

Then, there were its minions.

They too had been snowmen as tall as he was. He had plowed through them with just as much ease as a regular snowman. But, like its titanic creator, they always got back up. And they were getting up stronger, bigger, and harder to kill. They were still slow and stupid, but they were drastically outnumbering him.

[**Half Dimension!**]

His wings glowed as he shrank the area around him. Space distorted as everything within his sight was cut in half over and over again. The little snowmen were shrinking as well as the master. He did it until the safety lock on his armor kicked in and the ability had turned off.

He had managed to cut the creature down to a quarter of its original size while wiping out a massive quantity of the smaller troops.

But, this had been the third time he attempted this.

Something resembling a howl came from the colossus. The icy storm kicked up once again with new snow blowing everywhere. Vali didn't know how it could continue to create such a storm but he knew it was using it to reinvigorate itself. And in a matter of minutes it would be back to its former glory.

"This… is getting annoying…" he was beginning to pant. Issei Hyoudou had to deal with things like this?! It was unreal. It was tiresome.

But that was the thrill of it all. If his rival could put up with things like this then so could he. He just needed a little more firepower.

[…Vali, I know what you're thinking,] Albion said. The mental image of the ancient dragon inching away from his host surfaced. Vali had, indeed, sensed timidity coming from him. [There's another way. There's always another way.]

Vali flew down to a clearing not consumed with snowmen. "Sorry Albion, but it's the best method."

[J-Juggernaut Drive!] Albion argued in haste, borderline panic. [There's always that! I'll even surrender some of my energy to cover the cost! That'll double your time before it starts consuming your soul!]

Vali shook his head. "It won't be enough. It'll just keep coming back. I can feel it. This is something Hyoudou would have to face against at his full might. As a Predator. I won't fall behind him so easily."

[Please Vali!] begged the dragon now. [My next therapy session isn't until Wednesday! I don't think I can wait that long!]

He felt sorry for him. Truly he did. Albion's reputation had plummeted as soon as Vali unlocked this power. The once most-feared being on the planet was reduced to a living mockery. But sacrifices needed to be made in the name of power.

"Kuroka!" he called out to the open.

An intricate magic circled appeared at his back. The sort that crossed dimensions— which was needed as his base of operations needed to be outside the Predator's awareness. One of his faithful companions stepped out seconds after.

"Nyah, what can I do for you, Vali?" Kuroka stepped out, not bothered at all by the cold despite her attire. He could feel her aura warm herself and repel the bitter wind.

"Sorry, but I'm going to need _that _again."

She frowned, losing her aloofness. She huffed, turned her head away from him, and crossed her arms. "No. Not this time, nyah."

"Hmm?" he turned to look at her. He found her behavior strange. She was always enthusiastic about the practice, sometimes even badgering him on the next time she could be of use to him. To turn him down all of a sudden… "Kuroka, I need you. I can't do this without—"

"Stop right there, nyah," she jabbed a finger to his helm and continued to poke at the plating. She looked upset. "It's always 'I need you' or 'only you can do this for me'. I do it. And then you ignore me right after. Well no more, nyah. Go find yourself another girl, Vali."

She huffed again, turned, and was about to reenter the magic circle.

"What do you want, then?" he asked.

He couldn't afford to let her go. He really did need her. She was his Switch Princess and none others were compatible. This was the only way he could defeat his opponent absolutely. Perhaps if he gathered his entire team then _maybe _they could defeat it if they went all out. Or, to his great shame, he would have to request the help from Cao Cao or, even more embarrassing, his rival.

No. He needed to defeat this thing here and now. If Hyoudou Issei could do it, then so too could Vali Lucifer!

Kuroka turned, tapping a finger on her chin in coy thought. She already had an answer and only drawled out the time. A smile formed on her lips. Her tails swayed in delight. "You know what I want."

He didn't move.

"…If that's what you want," he eventually said. "But just this once."

She shrugged, though the smile only grew. "It's the best I'll ever get from you, nyah~"

[Vali… please…] Albion began to sob inside his head.

The two grew closer. Kuroka put her hands onto his chest and wrapped a single leg around his waist. She lifted the hem of her kimono as high as she could.

The gauntlet retracted, exposing his hand to the cold. It went around her waist, reached the underside of her dress…

…and firmly gripped her buttocks.

"Nnnyaaaaah~" she moaned and rested her head under his chin.

[Vali, WHHYYYYYYYYYY~] Albion sobbed harder. And then, the dragon was dragged deep down beyond his hearing. He was becoming one with his soul.

Vali could feel the power starting to flow into his being. He could feel himself change underneath his armor. The tumblers were turning and his ultimate technique was unlocking.

"I'll be waiting for you, Va-li~" Kuroka separated from him and gave him a wink. She moved back to the magic circle but never broke her eyes from him.

"A promise is a promise," he agreed as his wings fluttered. By the time she disappeared he was already flying high above the skies. He could see the monster had hardly moved at all… but the lesser snowmen were nearing a local town.

**I am, Destruction**

**I am, the Dark**

His armor and vessel shattered into dust glittering in light. Quickly, each particle of dust attached to another through ethereal cords, forming a pattern and weave that could never be understood by mortal men. Words, but not words, were forming in a language none could ever speak or read. These patterns were an expression, a code to something of a greater purpose in the fabric of reality.

They were combining together to form a Law.

**My Dream, it shall consume all**

**My Nothing, it will be enforced**

A body was forming from these wordless words. The Law was being made real, giving corporeal form. It was dark, darker than any void. It drank in the light, veiling its appearance in a coat of white burning brighter than any star.

**I am, Omnipotent**

**I am… [Rejection]!**

Vali Lucifer flexed the wings on his back. In the next instance, he stood in front of the slowly marching army of snowy troops. He stood against them. He was the wall that would block their path.

No, he was now the thing that would eradicate them. No more would they be a threat. _He _was the threat to them all.

**"I reject you!"**

It was not an announcement. It was an authority. It was the hammer slamming down on a final decision. None could disobey.

The magics giving these creatures life dissipated. The energy returned to the open space and spread out across the land. It sank into the ground and became nothing more than nutrition for the life already inhabiting the land. And the snowmen, now without the thing making them constructs, all exploded into harmless soft snow.

Vali looked up at the towering colossus. Towering… how silly. Though it was far taller than Vali by leagues, it was Vali who was looking down on this thing now.

**"I reject you,"** he said with a smile.

The magic within the entity was forced out. The spirit of winter, forged by the prayers of humanity, became nothing more than soft snow and pure energy. That energy became life force as it returned to the land, the skies, and the mountains.

"Hmph," Vali released a breath of air. By his will did he revert back into his human form. "Five hours of fighting you and it only took an instant in that form. I need to get stronger to where I can fight things like you without it…"

He sighed. Albion would still be out cold and he wouldn't be able to access the Divine Dividing. But he could transform again for the next half hour if things got crazy. He sighed because he had made a promise to Kuroka. He was a man of his word.

A shame. He really wanted to attend his rival's party. He even got an invitation from the kid. But oh well. It was probably over now that it was so late… or early in the morning, depending on how one would look at it.

With the problem finally solved, Vali opened a portal, stepped inside, and went to go face Kuroka and her most recent scheme for her to seduce Vali.

Only, this time, it had worked.

*Scene*

"You people will never get rid of me!" she shouted as she threw more winter at him. Not a blizzard storm of ice, snow, and wind. _Winter. _The full wrath of the season compacted into a single thrust at him. "I've been here since the dawn of man! Since the dawn of the planet! I _am _winter and summer!

"The people may have forgotten my name… and me… but I've not forgotten my purpose! I am here for the children! The children! I will be the one to make them happy! I am the original Santa Clause and will not have some mockery called _Santa Blur _tarnish my name! I refuse to fade away! Refuse!

"I was once Fifth Predator, the Black Death! I chilled the sun and brought about a plague onto the world! My death meant nothing! I am still here! I still hold my authorities! I will never fade away! I am Zero Predator because the World cannot fully acknowledge me! But that will not deny I am still an Ultimate Killer! You are nothing! You hear me?! Nothing! I will—"

"You talk _way _too much," Issei said as he threw back what he assumed to be a dragon made out of thorns and tree branches. It had put up one hell of a fight but it couldn't so much as scratch his armor.

The incarnation of the solstice seasons gaped like a fish. Her face flushed red as her anger spiked once again. "H-How dare you! I-I will not take that tone from the likes of a—"

The good thing about her talking was that Issei could find her location throughout the blinding blizzard. His Predator perk couldn't get a lock on her. But he could tell her general direction based on how much she yapped on and on.

A Dragon Shot was fired. He heard her shriek in surprise and then saw the faintest shadows move in the sea of white. She had dodged but now he knew where she was.

His Gift of Flight blazed as he followed the shadow. In an instant he was right in front of her.

He smacked her on her behind. It was quite plump. Bubbly. There was a respectable amount of firmness to it.

She screamed in anger but didn't retaliate. She only gained distance from him while covering the spot he had struck with both her hands. The winter storm had subsided from her distraction. He could not see her clear enough to get a good view of her form.

_Perfect!_

"H-H-H-H-H-How indecent!" she shook in rage… or embarrassment? He was sensing some strange emotions coming out of her through his draconian instincts. Her face was flushing in a new color. "W-W-W-W-W-Who dares to… to… s-s-s-smack a fair maiden's b-b-b-buttocks?!"

"I'm really more of a breast man," he commented without shame. "But, Goddess-chan, I'm having mixed feelings. I mean, your breasts and your butt are just as nice to feel as each other."

Her face reddened further. Her lips trembled. She looked ready to cry again.

He almost felt bad for what he was about to do. Almost. But he needed to do this to calm her down.

Something flashed in his eyes. A fire unlike any other. A fire that transcended the brilliance of the sun. Her eyes widened as she saw it.

"Now, Dress Break!" he roared in glee. And then he snapped his fingers.

Her robes disintegrated. They did not tear apart like normal fabric. They, woven out of the raw energies of magic from nature and prayer from the people's stories, simply dissolved. The winds stopped blowing. Snow fell back to the ground. The animated constructs from tree bark and vegetation grew still.

And the solstice deity was naked for all to see.

Her eyes widened further. She took a moment to examine her surroundings.

There was an audience. The large gathering of guests within the manor had made a show of it and had gathered at every window they could. They had managed to see the entire exchange, some better than others despite the blizzard.

And they all saw her naked.

Worse was her enemy. The Santa Blur stared at her with such an intensity she had to cover her precious parts with as much as she could. But she found it to be useless. Her attempts to cover her bosom and crotch only added fuel to that intensity. She could feel an overwhelming pressure force itself down on her. That stare. That stare! It was seeing into the deepest parts of her soul no matter what she tried to do.

In the end, she fell to her knees and began to cry.

*Scene*

He was alone with her. The two of them sat in an isolated room prepared just for her. She had been given some clothes to wear and had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. A cup of coffee was held in her hands though she didn't drink it, merely huddling it for warmth and comfort. Her feet were up on the seat as she sat near the fireplace.

Issei scratched his cheek as he took the seat opposite her. He didn't know where to go with this. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with this girl. This was his _gift _but he didn't know what its intentions were supposed to be. Did the Fourth just give it to him to fuck with him?

It was, strangely, Serene who told him there was a courteous purpose to all this. Courteous. As if the Fourth was offering something to prove his respect to Issei. It was also Serene (as well as the collective force of all his girls) who told Issei to try and reason with the girl.

Which led to now. He offered her everything he could and she accepted them.

"How did you know my clothes was the source of my powers?" she began, staring at him through the corner of her eyes. She looked peeved at him. But, he had to admit, her pouting scornful look was rather cute.

He didn't know about her clothes. But it's not like he was going to tell her that.

"You're really Santa…" he said instead.

She frowned. But then she looked at the fire and her expression softened, if not only slightly. "I _was _Santa Clause until a certain _someone _took that from me. It was the last thing I had left attached to this world, you know? No one remembers me. I am an Incarnation— a manifestation of a natural force given a physical body. I am the incarnation of winter and summer. But no one knows this. They worshipped me like some goddess. I don't even remember my own name…"

She stared into the fire a bit longer.

"I love children, I always will," she began again. "Being Santa was all I had left. No one prayed to me. No one remembered me. Santa was a mask but I wore it proudly. They might remember the character but never the actor. Still, the show must go on. Eventually I grew into such a theatrical harlot I no longer resembled my former self. What you see on television is what you get, really. But, now that this Santa Blur is around, the children sing songs for him instead. In time, people will even forget about me as they replace me with him. And when I die, I really will stay dead."

Now he felt like an ass. "…I didn't know."

She shrugged, accepting his words but it did not wash away her discontent. "I understand your intentions. I should praise you for your care. I've watched you, Red Blur. I've seen you through the hearts of the children. But… I want to keep hating you. Because of you… I will eventually fade away."

"Do you want to know when I stopped believing in you?"

His question made her fully turn and look at him. Her brows were still scrunching in a scowl but her eyes were bewildered. She was curious.

He had to look away. His hands cupped together as he closed his eyes. "My parents. We would celebrate this time every year. Sure I saw them put the gifts under the tree every year… saw Dad bite the cookies and milk I offered to you once. But I still believed for a while. Even I wasn't so silly to believe someone flies around and delivers gifts through a chimney. I can't do that. I wanted to go through every house but could only have enough time to go from city to city and drop off the gifts at the center.

"I didn't believe in Santa like the normal kids did. I never really did believe in fairy tale stuff. I always thought Santa was… the guy behind the scenes. Like he was the one making the toys and stuff for kids, sending them off to companies, and having the parents buy them for us. The kids called me crazy. But that's what I believed. I sat for a _very _long time thinking about all this. I mean, how does someone deliver toys throughout the entire world in a single night? I think he gets the parents to do it for him!"

There was a small smile on her lips as she listened. But, with the look she was giving him through her sunlit eyes, she knew there was more. She was still waiting for his answer.

"…I stopped believing in naïve things like that when my parents died," he said in a heavy tone. "I couldn't believe the world was so simple. So childish. So nice. There were a lot of terrible things out there. It's not that my theory for Santa— for you— was proven wrong. I just lost faith in… everything…

"…I'm sorry I said I didn't believe in you," he concluded and bowed his head slightly.

Her reply was a small snicker. "Little boy, are you telling me you believed in me until you were _fourteen_?"

He didn't tell her _when _his parents had died. Still, it got his cheeks to flush. "N-No! This and that are completely different!"

Her smile grew. "I forgive you. Not for stealing my job but for your beliefs. It still hurt, I'll have you know. I work _very _hard to get the recognition I deserve."

He looked at her as she looked away and finally sipped her coffee.

"Hey… Santa-chan? How about… next year… we do this together?"

A brow was raised as she turned only her eyes to look at him from the corner of her vision.

Issei scratched his cheek as he thought about it a little further. "I could use the help. I'm still new to all of this. I was thinking you could show me how you get from house to house. N-Not that I'm trying to learn your secrets and steal your job! I was thinking we could be partners, you know? If I show people you're real then maybe—"

"That's sweet of you," she said in a warm tone. Her smile had been genuine. "But the people never needed to see me to believe me. I don't mind teaching you my tricks, little boy. But I want you to make me a promise…"

She looked at him. Another brow was raised as she eyed him up and down, appraising him. "Two things, little _dragon._"

The purr from her tongue sent shivers down his spine. "Erm… sure?"

"Never forget about me," she said with a sad smile. "So long as you promise that, I will never fade away. If I have at least one believer, I will be here. Powerless maybe, but there will always be a chance I may return. This world is too wonderful for me to die out. I wish to see it until the very end."

He nodded. "I promise, Santa."

"That's a good boy," she nodded as well. "Now, the other thing. I want you to give me a child."

"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-Whaaaaaaaaaaa?!"

"Dragons are Incarnations as well, did you not know?" she said calmly, though there was an amused smile at his reaction. "Normally the idea of a Dragon and a goddess having a child is so rare most legends have been forgotten. To find a _humanoid _Dragon is a prize of itself. I am still your gift, little boy. Am I not good enough for you?"

Though she said this with coy, her hands were shaking and her face was flushing just as bad as he was. She was also breaking down into a nervous sweat. It took all of her power to say those words smoothly but there was nothing she could do to fight her bodily reactions. Her heart was racing loud and fast enough for the both of them to hear it.

They sat in awkward silence in each other's company. She turned away from him and sipped her coffee, using it to hide her face. Issei stole glances at her every now and then while he did everything in his power to _not _think about sex. And failing miserably. Their eyes would meet every now and then and steam would pour out of their ears as they quickly looked away.

"I-I don't even know your name," she started another conversation. "For that matter, who are you? Who are you to challenge the likes of a Predator?"

He blinked. All this time…

**"Do you know who I am?"**

Her eyes widened in recognition.

He sat up straight, no longer timid around her. His posture was like a king that commanded all to listen. Like a warrior who could not be challenged. Like a god who could not be denied. His eyes glowed green while scales began to form on his skin. His draconian essence slivered into the room just enough for her to feel its potency.

"Easter, dear sister, this one is _mine,_" she said with a hungry smile.

**"I am Hyoudou Issei. Eighth, the Dragoon."**


End file.
